The Israelis were surprised that they managed to beat Zorya relatively easily (3-1), scoring three unanswered goals in the first half. Before the match, they expected it to be an extremely difficult match, as the Ukrainians have a serious advantage due to their playing practice. Such an effective attacking game and a confident victory (in terms of the result) was a pleasant surprise for the Israelis. Now they believe that their team can compete with Gent even for first place in the group. However, many understand that the game against Zorya could have turned out differently if the Ukrainians had used all their chances.
Photo: maccabi-tlv.co.ilBraun: Thank you for the little joy in this difficult time. Just keep playing in the same style and keep winning to make our people happy. Unfortunately, we don't have many other reasons to be happy at the moment.
Harta: Great goals by a great team. It was not a perfect match as the Ukrainians also had quite a few chances, but the most important thing is that we scored more goals and won.
Abu: It was quite predictable that Maccabi would get tired quickly. In the second half, our team moved much less on the pitch, there were no more quick and effective attacks. That's why it was great that we scored three goals in the first half.
DuDu: To be honest, Zorya played no worse, and in the second half even better. That's why three goals in the first half is not a completely objective result. The second half was very weak for us. The Ukrainians created chances over and over again and even three goals might not have saved us from defeat if Zorya had converted their chances.
Muhta: This match reminded me a lot of the game against Breidablik. Back then, we also scored three quick goals, and it seemed that the outcome of the match was already clear. Then we either relaxed or ran out of energy, and the opponent started scoring goals, and the victory didn't seem so close anymore. This is not the first time that the team has physically "sat down" after the first half.
Amit: It's a strange situation when you win 3-0, but you're not sure if you can get 3 points in the end. The Ukrainians were dangerous, they created a lot of chances, and I was worried until the end. Fortunately, everything ended well for Maccabi.
Harel: If we play like this against Zorya in the second leg, and the Ukrainians take their chances, we will lose. The result is good, but the team's performance, especially in defence, raises a lot of questions for me to the coaching staff.
Maor: I thank the goalkeeper for this victory. In the second half, the Ukrainians added a lot and created a lot of chances, but we survived. A difficult but very important victory for Maccabi.
Aiad: Thanks to the team for giving us a little light in this sea of darkness. These are difficult times for Israel. Some may say that it's not the time for football and entertainment, but we have to keep living and enjoying life, in spite of our enemies. They want to intimidate us, but we are stronger and will continue to fight. Including in football.
Cohen: If the referee hadn't cancelled Zorya's first goal, things could have ended much worse for us. Until the last moment, I wasn't sure that Maccabi would be able to keep this victory. I thank the team for continuing to fight and win. It's even more important now than before.
Elad: When our players, coaches and even journalists complain about the difficult conditions, I don't know whether to laugh or cry. Let me remind you that Ukrainians have been at war with the Russians for almost 10 years. And Zorya hasn't been able to play at home since then, and in recent years has been forced to play European Cup matches in foreign countries. Let's not complain at least in matches against the Ukrainians, who have suffered much more.
Shemesh: A good match, a good victory and crucial three points. Now everything is in Maccabi's hands. Even first place is still within reach, although it will be much harder to get ahead of Gent.
Luzon: I wouldn't criticise the team for their defensive mistakes. We hadn't played football for a month, and Zorya had a game practice. I'm actually surprised that we beat the Ukrainians so easily. I thought it would be a very difficult match, and Maccabi would score one goal at best.
Bensimon: It's a pity that Breidablick couldn't hold on to the win over Gent. It would have made Maccabi's life much easier and helped us in the fight for first place in the group. Although I would not rush to put Zorya in third place. They can win the return leg and then fight in the game against Ghent.
Yotam: Just like in the match against Breidablok, you can only praise the team for 3 points. The game was as bad as it was and still is. Both then and now, Maccabi played very poorly in defence. I would not draw global conclusions after today's victory. "Zorya also has a lot of problems, so I think the match against Ghent, in which we lost, is more indicative.
Sagi: The most important thing now is to win matches. On emotions, on character. It will be hard, because no one knows when the war against terrorists will end. But we cannot hide forever and avoid normal life.
Lior: It's pointless to look for faults in the team's performance at such moments. We won and got 3 points. Everything else will be forgotten tomorrow. "Maccabi remains in the fight even for first place in our group. Let's just be happy for the team that showed character in a match against a strong opponent.
Shaltiel: Thank you for everything. Despite the poor performance, we managed to win. Before the match, many people did not believe in Maccabi and wrote us down as outsiders. Yes, the game was bad, and we could have easily lost. Yes, we made too many mistakes in defence. But sometimes such victories are very important and help the team believe in themselves.
Or: A victory is a victory, I don't want to criticise the team after that. But with Maccabi playing like this, it's hard to hope for anything good. If we play like this in defence, then Zorya will definitely win the second leg. And then the mood will not be so good. We need to work on the team's defence.
Damri: Rare moments of happiness that we have to appreciate. The game wasn't perfect, Maccabi made a lot of mistakes and allowed the opposition a lot. But the most important thing is that we kept the victory and significantly improved our position in the group.
Anton Prokopov
