Maccabi (Tel Aviv) has reached the main stage of the Europa League, but it did so leaving fans with more questions than joy. After a confident victory in the first match (3:1), the Israelis allowed themselves to relax and lost the second match to Kyiv’s Dynamo 0:1. On one hand, the result over the distance is sufficient to move forward, but on the other hand, the loss to a team like this has caused bitterness and irritation.
Fans note: "Dynamo" looks like a weak and faceless club, and it was shameful to lose to them even with a safety margin. Now everyone understands: ahead are much more serious opponents, and such a game will not work anymore.
Lirav: Yes, we made it to the Europa League, but how can one be happy after losing to such a weak Dynamo? The team has much to reflect on. There won’t be such weak opponents in the main stage of the Europa League.
Oz: There is joy, but the aftertaste of bitterness is stronger. You cannot lose to a team that can barely keep itself afloat. I can’t believe we allowed Dynamo to beat us. This is the worst version of them in the last decade.
Shamay: Even the passage to the group stage does not mute the disappointment of how we looked in the second match. We celebrate, but at the same time, we are angry. Playing like this against the Kyiv team is shameful.
Levy: The score of 3:2 over the sum of matches looks decent for them, which is disappointing. They shouldn’t have been anywhere near us. If we play like this against Dynamo, what will happen when we face a proper European club?
Yehuda: The loss hurts more because we know who these Ukrainians are. A weak squad, a weak game. The team has moved on, but the performance left many questions. This is a worrying sign for everyone at Maccabi.
Liber: Yes, the Europa League is ours. But with such a performance, we won’t last long there. Why did we allow Dynamo to feel like a serious club? We should have progressed confidently, but instead, we gifted them a victory and a good mood.
Omer: It’s embarrassing to lose to an opponent that can confidently be called one of the weakest in Europe. With such football, we shouldn’t even dream of getting out of the group; there won’t be any club at the level of Dynamo.
Cohen: The victory of the Kyiv team in the second match does not negate our strength, but it greatly taints the impression. The players seemed to just go out to finish the match, and here’s the result—0:1. Instead of completely destroying the opponent, we allowed them to revive the intrigue in this confrontation.
Aviran: Even the very fact of losing to Dynamo is humiliating and strikes at the pride of the fans. We are glad to progress in the Europa League, but deep down, everyone understands: this game is a warning bell.
Tamir: I can only give a brief summary after two matches with Dynamo: "There is an exit to the Europa League, there is no confidence in the future. There is just no mood for a deeper analysis now.
Saar: To concede to such a team is shameful. Moreover, to lose. Yes, 3:2—but it should have been 5:0 on aggregate. It’s worrying that we allowed such a team to make us nervous.
Mati: "Dynamo" is not a benchmark. We are to blame for this defeat. If it weren’t for the first match, we could have completely disgraced ourselves. There’s no point in celebrating reaching the Europa League if you play so poorly.
Avishai: The disappointment from the second match overshadows the joy of advancing. So many mistakes in defense, so many mistakes in attack—it cannot be forgiven at this level. Thank goodness Dynamo is still at a lower level, and they couldn’t give us problems, but how will we play against clubs from stronger leagues?
Snir: We can no longer underestimate opponents, even such weak ones. I am proud of qualifying for the Europa League, but I am ashamed of the result. If we play like this, we will be beaten in every match.
Amit: We allowed the opponent to feel that they could do something. The Kyiv team is celebrating a victory, even though they got eliminated. And we should be angry. Such a second match overshadowed the joy from the first.
Moshe: Even with a large safety margin, losing was not an option. If we play the same way in the Europa League, there will be no chances for victory. The loss in the second match should not satisfy us, regardless of the final result.
Shore: Let them celebrate this victory. Judging by their results in the European cups, for them, it’s like the final of the Champions League. A nice gift for Kyiv fans: to feel joy at least for one evening.
Jacobi: It’s embarrassing to lose to a team like Dynamo. Their level is below the floorboard. This is probably the worst team we could have lost to at this stage. Dynamo has long ceased to be a serious club. And yet we lost to them.
Gad: Dynamo looked terrible on the field. And we still lost to them, allowing the opponent to create many moments near our goal. Today we saw exactly the Maccabi that couldn’t beat Paphos.
Raziel: We have to play at a different level. And that’s that. In the Europa League, it will be hard for us if we don’t change our attitude. Dynamo played horribly, but our footballers seemed to forget that they need to score.
Dmytro Malyanov
