Maccabi Haifa edged Slovan Bratislava 2-1 away from home in their Champions League third qualifying round first-leg tie.
The Israeli squad took the lead in the fifth minute thanks to a goal from Frantzdy Pierrot.
Slovan equalised courtesy of a Maccabi own goal seven minutes later. But Maccabi Haifa took the lead for good on 15 minutes thanks to a goal from Dia Saba.
Maccabi Haifa were not dominant in the match but got two goals to win the first leg. They only tallied nine shots to Slovan’s 16.
Slovan Bratislava also kept more possession, with 58%. Maccabi took their chances in the final third, however.
Manager Messay Dego will feel confident that Maccabi Haifa can finish the job at home to progress to the playoff round.
If Maccabi can win the tie, they will face last season’s Swiss champions Young Boys in the playoff round.
Dego used a 4-4-2 formation in the opening leg. Pierrot and Saba started in attack and got the two goals.
Dego should once again use a 4-4-2 formation, deploying two banks of four to stop the Slovan attack.
Slovan Bratislava are coming off a 2-1 win on the domestic front at the weekend.
Bratislava have played three times on the domestic front compared to Maccabi’s zero. The Israeli Premier League has not kicked off and won’t until later this month.
The Slovakian team uses a 4-1-4-1 formation, making it difficult for teams to break through the lines.
Striker David Strelec could start in attack once more. He could be left isolated if Slovan’s wide players can't feed him the ball. Strelec is yet to score on the domestic front for Slovan this season.
Slovan Bratislava have just one injury going into the match, as centre-forward Adler is nursing a fitness problem.
If he is passed fit, Adler could start the match in attack. Striker Malik Abubakari is also in line to start the game. He is on loan from Sweden’s Malmo.
Dego could start offseason signing Erik Shuranov against Slovan. The centre-forward joined from Nurnberg for €1 million. He did not play in the first leg.
Defender Sun Menahem will likely miss the match following a concussion. He is the only injury problem for Dego and Maccabi.
Maccabi Haifa created little in attack in the first leg but still scored twice to win. Playing at home, Maccabi should post a second straight win over Slovan Bratislava 4-1.
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