Maccabi Tel Aviv Wins in Sofia but Drops to Conference League

Maccabi Tel Aviv fought hard in their Europa League third qualifying round second leg against CSKA Sofia on Thursday but ultimately failed to advance, despite a 3-1 victory in Sofia. After losing the first leg 3-0, Maccabi needed a strong performance to overturn the deficit. Goals from Dor Peretz and Astrit Sokler, along with an own goal by CSKA's goalkeeper Fedor Plohov, gave Maccabi a 3-1 win on the night. However, the aggregate score of 4-3 in favor of CSKA Sofia meant Maccabi was eliminated from the Europa League and dropped to the UEFA Conference League.

Coach Kenny Miller made several changes to the lineup compared to the previous loss in Batumi, including starting Tyrese Asante as right back, Roy Revivo returning to left back, and Sokler leading the attack instead of Said Abu Freih, who may have played his last match before moving to MLS. Maccabi dominated much of the match, with strong performances from Oshar Davida and Helio Varela, but a defensive error in the second half allowed CSKA to score and keep the aggregate advantage.

Maccabi Tel Aviv now shifts focus to the Conference League playoff round, where they will face Swiss champions Lugano, who have a perfect record in their domestic league. A win in this playoff would secure Maccabi a spot in the group stage of the Conference League, the third-tier European competition.

Key moments included a disallowed penalty for Maccabi early on after VAR review, Peretz’s opening goal in the 12th minute following a precise pass from Davida, and Sokler’s first goal for Maccabi in the 61st minute. CSKA’s Stefano Sensi scored to reduce the deficit, but an own goal by Plohov restored Maccabi’s two-goal lead. Despite their improved attacking display, Maccabi could not score the crucial fourth goal needed to advance.

Maccabi Tel Aviv will need to regroup quickly after this mixed result and prepare for the challenging tie against Lugano in the Conference League playoffs.