The Red House: Hapoel Tel Aviv defeated Katowice 0:2
After being the best home team in the league, Hapoel Tel Aviv is also impressing in its European "home" in Hungary. Just like against Ludogorets, the Reds beat the Polish side Katowice 0:2 and secured a nice advantage ahead of the return leg in the third qualifying round of the Conference League. Turiel (5) and Alkokin (18) scored.
Hapoel Tel Aviv was the best home team in the Premier League last season, and it turns out they are the same in Europe, far from Bloomfield Stadium. While Maccabi Tel Aviv was defeated in Batumi and Beitar Jerusalem also lost its "home" game in Ploiești, the Reds celebrated again this Thursday in Miskolc, Hungary, where they beat the Polish side Katowice 0:2 in the third round of the Conference League qualifiers. As you recall, in the previous round, Hapoel Tel Aviv won by the same score against Ludogorets, then finished with a respectable 2:2 in Bulgaria and moved on. As long as they avoid a turnaround next week in Poland, they will meet the formidable Atalanta in the playoff stage for the right to enter the Conference League league phase.
Elyaniv Barda surprised with one change in the lineup, as Roi Alkokin was preferred over Xande Silva. Alkokin started in the middle and Omri Altman was placed on the left, from where he assisted Stav Turiel for a beautiful goal in the fifth minute. Hapoel Tel Aviv continued to dictate the pace, applied high pressure, and in the 18th minute it worked for Emmanuel Boateng, who intercepted a ball and saw Alkokin send an artistic chip into the net from 25 meters. Katowice, which finished fifth in the Polish league last season, was very anemic and settled for only one threat on target in the first half, and that too from a set piece.
The pace slowed down in the second half, as the visitors looked a bit better after a triple substitution that included Ilya Shkurin, the ex-Maccabi Petah Tikva player. Despite this, Asaf Tzur's goal was not in real danger, and towards the end, Hapoel Tel Aviv could have achieved a third goal that would have calmed them down even more ahead of the return leg, but Daniel Dapa missed in a one-on-one against the goalkeeper in the 87th minute.
Lineups
Hapoel Tel Aviv: Asaf Tzur, Marcos Coco, Fernand Mayembo, Chico, Doron Leidner (Shahar Piven, 66), Adrian Kraev, Falcao, Stav Turiel (Mor Buskila, 87), Roi Alkokin (Amit Lemkin, 81), Omri Altman (Xande Silva, 66), Emmanuel Boateng (Daniel Dapa, 81).
Katowice: Gabriel Kobylak, Lukasz Klemenz, Arkadiusz Jedrych, Pau Resta, Erik Jirka (Marcin Wasilewski, 71), Bartosz Wolski, Kacper Lukasiak (Mateusz Kowalczyk, 57), Borja Galan, Aman Markovic (Szymon Bartlewicz, 57), Bartosz Nowak (Marcel Wendrychowski, 81), Adam Zrelak (Ilya Shkurin, 57).
Match progression
1: The match in Miskolc has started.
5: Goal! Altman provided a great pass under pressure from the left towards the free Turiel, who shot sharply and flatly into the net from 16 meters. 0:1 for Hapoel Tel Aviv.
18: Goal! Boateng pressed the Katowice defense and caused a turnover, the ball reached Alkokin who chipped wonderfully from 25 meters over goalkeeper Kobylak and in. 0:2 for Hapoel Tel Aviv.
22: Boateng kept the ball in the box with his back to the goal and shifted to Alkokin, who deceived his marker and shot with the outside of his foot. The goalkeeper parried with his foot and prevented him from scoring a brace.
25: Goalkeeper Kobylak came out towards Boateng and beat him to it, but cleared it straight to the feet of Alkokin, who freed himself and eventually shot from an uncomfortable angle. Kobylak managed to return to the box and parried for a corner.
31: Boateng was fouled in the box and it seemed he would get a penalty, but there was an offside before that.
34: Alkokin ran a counterattack and passed between the two center-backs to Boateng, who shot wide from an diagonal angle.
38: Nowak curled a free kick from 23 meters, Tzur dealt with the first threat on his target without difficulty.
44: Alkokin prepared with his heel for Turiel, who shot over the crossbar from a difficult angle on the right.
68: Hapoel Tel Aviv with a rare attempt in the second half. Substitute Silva deceived his defender and shot with his right, the ball hit a defender and bounced into the goalkeeper's hands.
69: Another good move by Silva from the left, this time he entered between two players and shot high over the goal.
87: What a miss by Dapa. The young striker raced across half the field, alone against the goalkeeper, but shot into the feet of Kobylak, who then also parried a curled shot by Silva.
