Maccabi Haifa are preparing for the return match tonight (Tuesday, 20:00) against Apollon Limassol of Cyprus.
Following the 0:4 win in the first game, coach Barak Becher looked for ways to keep his players focused for the game.
Bachar heard on the one hand that Maccabi Haifa made history at the GSP stadium where the match will take place.
They beat Manchester United and Olympiakos in it with a score of 0:3 exactly 20 years ago.
But the Israeli coach likes challenges and he discovered that against Cypriot teams, Maccabi Haifa didn't really do well in the away games.
Bachertz tries to spur the players on, photo: Shahar Azran
All results
Moreover, no Israeli team has won on the neighboring island when facing a local team.
The greens lost 1:2 to AK Larnaca 11 years ago, and missed an opportunity to advance from the group stage of the Europa League.
The same Larnaca also defeated Maccabi Pet. 0:3 in the factory qualifiers.
Last year, Dor Micha's Anorthosis Pampagosa knocked out Hapoel BS, the team he later moved to and beat it 1:3. The Israelis were also unsuccessful against Apoel Nicosia. Barak Becher's Hapoel BS lost to them 1:3 and Maccabi Tel Aviv on the other hand , blackmailed 0:0 at GSP on the way to elimination with a home loss.
In short, Israeli teams do not fare well against Cypriot teams when they play against them on the neighboring island.
And Barak Bakr?
He recalled to his team that he also lost in the GSP Stadium against Dynamo Moscow, back when he was a young coach in the city of Kash, when the team migrated abroad due to the security situation in Israel.
So despite the 0:4, Barak Becher found reasons why tonight's game against Apollon is important.
Now he only has to catch up with the players.
Will they celebrate tonight as well?, Photo: Alan Shiver
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