Maccabi Tel Aviv Aims to Break Swiss Winless Streak Against Lugano in Conference League Playoff

Maccabi Tel Aviv is set to face Swiss club Lugano at the Lugano Arena in the Conference League playoff round, seeking a crucial victory to secure their European season after being eliminated from the Europa League. The kickoff is scheduled soon, with Maccabi aiming for a historic win against a Swiss opponent, a feat they have yet to achieve.

Since the current format of the playoff stage began in the 2009/10 season, Maccabi has reached this round 15 times, the highest among Israeli teams. This will be their fourth appearance in the Conference League playoffs under coach Kenny Miller. Previously, they advanced past Shakhter Karagandy in 2021/22 and Celje in 2023/24 but were eliminated by French side Nice in 2022/23.

Lugano is the third Swiss team Maccabi has faced in European competition, having played eight matches against Swiss clubs before, six against Basel and two against Grasshoppers, without a win, recording five draws and three losses. Lugano has also faced an Israeli team before, playing Hapoel Be'er Sheva four times in European tournaments.

Lugano enters the match unbeaten this season with seven wins and one draw. Key players for Maccabi to watch include 35-year-old striker Kevin Burns, who has extensive experience in top European leagues including over 100 Bundesliga appearances, and 23-year-old Swiss attacking midfielder Daniel dos Santos, who has scored five goals this season.

Maccabi hopes to leverage these insights and break their Swiss winless streak to advance in the Conference League and maintain their European campaign.