No less than ten players of the Israeli champion will not play tonight (22:00) against Salzburg in the playoffs promotion to the Champions • True, this is an almost impossible task, but we chose to focus on players who are capable of doing the unbelievable
Maccabi Tel Aviv players celebrate last week.
The celebration cost dearly
Photo:
Ami fat
If everything had gone well and seven Maccabi Tel Aviv players had not been infected with the Corona virus, it is likely that coach Giorgos Donis would have started with a team almost identical to the one that defeated Dynamo Brest last week. Greek.
It is clear to everyone that if the task of overtaking Salzburg was very difficult to achieve with the full staff, then in the current situation it is an almost impossible task.
The club environment defined it remarkably accurately: "Before the tackles the chance was 30:70 in their favor, now it's 10:90 for Salzburg."
A senior industry official added: "Maccabi Tel Aviv did not really have a chance to beat the Austrians, but now this small chance has escaped them as well."
For those who somehow managed to miss, we will mention that Dan Glazer, Yonatan Cohen, Avi Rikan, Dor Peretz, Enrique Sborit, Nick Blackman and Daniel Peretz were diagnosed as positive for the corona virus.
This morning it was announced that Eduardo Guerrero and the young Dor Turgeman have also contracted - and they will all be absent tonight (22:00) from the first game in the playoffs and promotion to the home stage of the Champions League.
And if that's not enough, even Maor Kandil, who wants a suspension, will not be on Donis' roster.
The difficult situation is clear, and yet, let's try to be optimistic and mark the three key players in the Yellows' 11, the ones who can turn the lemon into lemonade.
At least in the first game at Bloomfield.
Daniel Tennenbaum
If you ask why goalkeeper Daniel Tennenbaum, let's remember the recent rise of Maccabi Tel Aviv to the home stage of the Champions League. Pablo, who with record ability between the posts managed to prevent a heavy defeat with his own hands and in fact was the main reason, together with the striker, that the champion qualified for the second time in its history.
Daniel Tennenbaum. Pray for a weak Austrian day // Photo: Alan Schieber
If Tennenbaum today displays half of the ability that Juan Pablo displayed five years ago in Switzerland, the Yellows have some chance of dreaming of a good result.
Otherwise, one should pray hard for a weak day of the Austrians.
Tonight's game is also the goalkeeper's first and critical test for the continuation of his career.
Last year, the Brazilian-Jewish broke every possible record - much with the help of the Iron Defense, which was in Kiryat Shalom and disbanded this summer with the departure of Jair Amador and Andre Geralds.
Tonight, without Seborit and Glazer as the back midfielder who helps the defense, the goalkeeper is expected to do a lot of work.
It will also be a critical game for Tennenbaum on a personal level, because the professional team of Maccabi Tel Aviv has already started examining options regarding a senior goalkeeper. If he provides a weak performance tonight, it will only sharpen their need to land one, Finding himself again warms the bench.
Eyal Golsa
11 years ago, Maccabi Haifa qualified for the home stage of the Champions League.
The opponent who knocked out in the playoffs?
Salzburg.
And who was one of the conquerors in that game?
Eyal Golsa.
True, Golsa is no longer the same kid, and since then Salzburg has become a European monster, but Golsa can make a difference for the Yellows.
Golsa. Maccabi will not oppose another decisive goal // Photo: Alan Shiber
Gulsa has already experienced a home stage with Maccabi.
It happened in the Europa League with Maccabi Tel Aviv. He also played for PAOK Thessaloniki, so he does not lack experience in these positions. The smart balls he can hand out to the attacking players, as well as his crucial goals (look on YouTube for the goal against Alkmaar, if you like to remember). These are exactly the things the champion will need tonight.
Itay shechter
Itai Schechter has a great memory from Salzburg.
When he played for Hapoel Tel Aviv, he scored against them in the playoffs of the Champions League and celebrated with a red cap, and hopes that the goddess of luck will be by his side tonight as well.
Schechter. "In the end you always stay with him" // Photo: Ami Shumen
Schechter is no longer the same young, fast and troublesome striker as he was a decade ago, but still, at the age of 33, he is the goal striker for Maccabi Tel Aviv. To bring, in the end you always stay with Schechter ", it is customary to laugh at the club.
But beyond his experience, Schechter brings something that not all Maccabi players have - passion and hunger.
He’s already played in the Champions League, and really doesn’t want to miss the perhaps last opportunity of his career to be there one more time.
In recent days he has spurred his teammates, and on the pitch he is doing it no less well, just like a coach.
Schechter can catch a record day and that will not be enough for Maccabi, but in the same breath - touching his magic or squeezing a penalty, as only he knows, can make the difference.