Maccabi Tel Aviv Midfielder Itamar Noy Vows to Overcome 3-0 Defeat Against CSKA Sofia

Maccabi Tel Aviv suffered a 3-0 loss to CSKA Sofia on Thursday in the first leg of their UEFA Europa League qualifying tie, putting the Israeli club at risk of dropping to the Conference League. Speaking after the match, midfielder Itamar Noy acknowledged the disappointing result but emphasized that the tie is far from over. "As Kenny said after the game, this is definitely not finished, although we have a big mountain to climb," Noy said. "We know very well what we are capable of, much more than what we showed on the pitch today."

Noy expressed confidence in the team's ability to turn things around in the second leg, which will take place next week in Sofia with a nearly full stadium. "It certainly wasn't easy playing here today with an almost empty stadium. In Sofia, the situation will be completely different with a packed stadium and a tough atmosphere," he noted. "Despite everything, I truly believe we can come back and achieve a good result next week."

The midfielder stressed the need for the team to be at their best to overcome the deficit and advance in the competition. Maccabi Tel Aviv now faces a challenging task to overturn the three-goal deficit away from home to remain in the Europa League qualifying rounds.