Maccabi Tel Aviv Suffers Heavy 3-0 Defeat to CSKA Sofia in Europa League Qualifier

Maccabi Tel Aviv endured a significant setback in their European campaign on Thursday, losing 3-0 to CSKA Sofia in the first leg of the third qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League. The match was held in Georgia without spectators due to a UEFA sanction following previous incidents. Maccabi fell behind early, conceding in the ninth minute when Andrew Godoy assisted Max Ebong, who scored from the edge of the box. The Bulgarian side doubled their lead in the 29th minute with a goal from Godoy himself after a chaotic moment in Maccabi's penalty area.

Despite attempts to respond, including chances from Dor Peretz and Raz Shlomo, Maccabi struggled to create dangerous opportunities. In the second half, they increased pressure and controlled possession but failed to convert key chances, including a header from Peretz in the 62nd minute and a close-range miss by substitute Elad Madmon in the 78th minute. Near the end, CSKA Sofia sealed the victory with a third goal, leaving Maccabi with a daunting three-goal deficit to overturn in the return leg.

Maccabi Tel Aviv had entered the match following a strong start to their season, including a 3-1 win over Hapoel Be'er Sheva in the Israeli Super Cup and a 6-0 aggregate victory over Sheriff Tiraspol. Now, they face the challenge of erasing the three-goal gap to advance in the Europa League; failure to do so will relegate them to the UEFA Conference League playoffs.