Maccabi Tel Aviv Faces Crucial Week With Key Matches Against Hapoel Jerusalem and FC Lugano
Translated & summarized from Walla by baba
Maccabi Tel Aviv faces a pivotal week starting with a league match against Hapoel Jerusalem and a crucial Conference League qualifier second leg against FC Lugano. Coach Robbie Miller is undecided on the lineup amid injury concerns and a tight schedule. The team must win both matches to keep their European campaign alive and maintain league momentum.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Maccabi Tel Aviv must win both league and Conference League matches this week to advance and succeed.
- Coach Robbie Miller has not revealed the starting lineup due to scheduling and injury considerations.
- Miller is assessing defender Tyrese Asante's fitness after a recent injury.
- Maccabi lost 2-1 to FC Lugano in Switzerland and must overturn the result in Batumi.
- Forward Said Abu Freih may miss the Lugano return leg due to travel plans.
- The league opener against Hapoel Jerusalem is at Ra'anana Stadium, where Maccabi has not played before.
Maccabi Tel Aviv is preparing for a critical week starting with a challenging league opener against Hapoel Jerusalem on Sunday at the Ra'anana Stadium, where the team has yet to play. The match kicks off at 20:15 and will be broadcast on Sport1. This game follows Maccabi's recent 2-1 loss to FC Lugano in Switzerland on Thursday. The team will face Lugano again in the Conference League qualifying second leg in Batumi in four days, where they must overturn the deficit to advance and avoid an early exit from European competition.
Coach Robbie Miller has not yet finalized the starting lineup for the league opener, sending players home after training without revealing the squad. He is considering changes due to the tight schedule between the Lugano matches and the league opener. Miller also faces a decision on the fitness of defender Tyrese Asante, who was injured on Thursday but trained again on Saturday.
The club emphasized the importance of winning both upcoming games, stating, "A lot is at stake this week, and no matter the lineup or decisions about the starting eleven, we must win both matches. We are entering one of the most important weeks of the season, and every small detail and decision can determine our fate."
Forward Said Abu Freih remains part of the squad but is expected to travel to the United States later this week and likely will not join the team for the Lugano return leg. It is unclear whether he will start against Hapoel Jerusalem, as he did in the Toto Cup match last week, or if Miller will continue with striker Astrit Sulejmani as the main forward and use Abu Freih as a substitute, as was done against Lugano.
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