Hapoel Tel Aviv Holds Atalanta in UEFA Conference League Stalemate

Hapoel Tel Aviv walked off level on the scoreboard, but miles richer in belief.

On a tense UEFA Conference League Playoff Round night, the Israeli side battled Atalanta to a 0-0 draw in the first leg, a result that keeps their group-stage dream very much alive and sends this tie to a knife-edge second leg in Miskolc, Hungary, next Thursday.

Hapoel’s high press, Atalanta’s frustration

Backed by around 1,500 travelling supporters, Hapoel started with intent rather than fear. The Reds pushed high up the pitch, hunting for mistakes and quick transitions. Roie Alkukin whipped an early cross into the Atalanta box, but it drifted away from its target. Omri Altman then tried to make something happen from a corner, only to see his delivery cleared.

From there, the match tightened.

Both sides probed, both tried to unlock the other, yet genuine chances were scarce. Atalanta, so often free-flowing in Europe, found themselves slowed, forced sideways, made to think instead of instinctively attack. Hapoel stayed compact, disciplined, and went into the break with the clean sheet – and their confidence – intact.

The pattern barely shifted after halftime. Neither team wanted to be the one to blink first. Caution crept into every decision, every touch. To shake it up, Hapoel coach Elyaniv Barda turned to his bench, introducing Xander Silva and Mor Buskila in a bid to stretch the game and inject some pace.

Still, the deadlock held. The tension grew.

Tzur’s late heroics and a tie still alive

Only in stoppage time did the contest finally crack open. Atalanta, sensing an opportunity to take control of the tie, surged forward. Ederson twice found room to shoot, twice looked ready to break Hapoel hearts.

Twice, Assaf Tzur stood in his way.

The Hapoel goalkeeper produced a pair of crucial saves in added time, preserving the 0-0 and sending the tie to that decisive second leg at Hapoel’s “home-away-from-home” in Miskolc with everything still to play for.

Afterward, Barda’s pride in his side was clear.

“We can congratulate the guys on a very good performance. We stuck to our principles and played our football against a great team, so the players deserve congratulations,” he said. “Having said that, it ended 0–0, and we have a second leg in which we’ll want to reproduce this performance. In the end, we stood firm and insisted on doing what we had worked on. There is still room for improvement, but the better chances were ours.”

On the opposite bench, Maurizio Sarri acknowledged the struggle his team faced.

“I expected a difficult game. They were superior to us physically. We lack fluency in our play; every time we receive the ball, we think, and that slows us down,” he admitted. “Nevertheless, there are also positive aspects: in our last three games, we haven’t conceded a goal.”

So Atalanta carry a defensive record. Hapoel carry momentum and belief. Miskolc will decide which matters more.

Maccabi Tel Aviv undone in Lugano but tie still within reach

While Hapoel dug in and survived, Maccabi Tel Aviv were left with work to do.

Kenny Miller’s side fell 2-1 away to Lugano, undone by a first-half error and a second-half penalty, despite a well-taken goal from Ido Shahar that briefly dragged them level. The return leg in Batumi, Georgia – their own temporary home – now looms as a must-win occasion.

Costly mistake, swift response

Lugano struck first after a moment Maccabi will want to forget. In the 30th minute, goalkeeper Ofek Meilika’s poor clearance invited pressure and handed the hosts a platform. They didn’t waste it. The ball was worked back into the danger area, and Kevin Behrens rose to nod it into the net, giving Lugano a 1-0 lead.

Maccabi needed a reaction after the break, and they found it almost immediately.

Just two minutes into the second half, Roy Revivo delivered a superb cross, picking out Shahar in stride. The midfielder, celebrating his 25th birthday, met it cleanly and slotted home in the 47th minute to bring Maccabi back to 1-1 and shift the mood.

The equalizer should have steadied them. Instead, it proved fleeting.

Penalty swing and missed chances

Lugano pushed again, and Maccabi cracked under pressure. Tyrese Asante fouled Yanis Cimignani in the area, the referee pointed to the spot, and Anto Grgic stepped up. His finish was calm, his penalty decisive. Lugano were back in front, 2-1.

From there, the visitors chased the game.

Shahar, Dor Peretz and Revivo all carved out opportunities to rescue a draw for Miller’s team, but each chance went begging. Lugano held firm, protected their one-goal cushion and carried that advantage into the second leg of this two-legged tie.

Miller, though, refused to sound beaten.

“It was a good game. I’m coming away with very positive feelings about our performance in the second half. I have no doubt that we can get the win next week,” he said. “The Lugano players were very aggressive in the first half. They pressed us and made it difficult for us to settle and find our rhythm. The second half was completely different. We created several promising attacks, found a much better rhythm and had a lot of possession.”

Shahar, goalscorer and birthday boy, struck a similar note of defiance despite the disappointment.

“Honestly, I would have been much happier if we had won and received the perfect birthday present. I’m happy about the goal, but unfortunately we lost in the end,” he said. “Nevertheless, we fully believe that with the support of the fans next week in Batumi, we will get the job done.”

So Hapoel head to Hungary with a clean sheet and a giant in their sights. Maccabi travel to Georgia needing to overturn a deficit. Two different paths, one shared question: which Tel Aviv side will still be standing when the Conference League door finally closes?