Maccabi Tel Aviv fans received a raucous welcome when they entered Bloomfield Stadium, matching the thunder and heavy rain punctuating the night sky - and both preceded the night’s special guest - Eran Zahavi.
Zahavi was responsible for some of Maccabi's most magnificent European nights. Scoring in the Europa League and leading them to the knockout stage for the first time in 2014 was one of them. The summer of 2015, is also at the forefront of fan’s minds, when he scored 7 goals, including two decisive last minute finishes, to take his side all the way to the Champions League group stage.
All was set for an unforgettable night for Maccabi Tel Aviv fans.
It's a one man show. Incredible video of 28,000 Maccabi fans after the game, singing and cheering their ex idol, Eran Zahavi, today as a PSV player. Sound on 🔊
— BabaGol (@BabaGol_) February 24, 2022
🎥 @Levyninho pic.twitter.com/c7Ud6Sj7Ua
PSV came to Israel with a comfortable 1-0 lead from the first leg of their Europa Conference League knockout play-off tie. All they had to do was last the 90 minutes against a Maccabi Tel Aviv side who barely tried to score in the previous encounter.
Maccabi didn't manage to use PSV Eindhoven's apathetic attitude to their advantage. The team's few chances weren't converted into any serious attempt on target. The Israeli side were inching closer to elimination.
The atmosphere among the crowd had changed as well. Fans received multiple warnings for throwing objects on the field of play, so much so that, in the 57th minute, the referee called both teams into the dressing rooms. It was five minutes before the game was resumed.
In the 65th minute, Eran Zahavi was subbed off to a standing ovation from his former crowd. Without scoring against Maccabi Tel Aviv, Zahavi left the building and left PSV to keep the aggregate lead.
Eran Zahavi and Sheran Yeini, former teammates in two sides of the game (Photo: Shaul Greenfeld)
As Maccabi kept failing to score, PSV took advantage. Five minutes from time, Yorbe Vertessen scored easily, with no response from Maccabi's defense.
Nine minutes of additional time needed to be played - Maccabi had enough time to score twice. In the 91st minute, the first came quickly, when Enric Saborit equalized with an accurate header. If Zahavi was still on the books, like on many occasions before, Maccabi could easily score the second in the remaining minutes. He did the same back in both Plzen and Basel, finding the decisive moment to net a crucial goal.
This time, Maccabi had no Zahavi, and manager Mladen Krstajić couldn’t find a solution. A 1-1 draw between Maccabi Tel Aviv and PSV Eindhoven marked the end of the Israeli side’s European journey.
It was a long run for Maccabi Tel Aviv, and maybe it was only their first step in the new competition. The UEFA Europa Conference League was the ultimate chance for teams like Maccabi Tel Aviv to showcase their ability against teams at a similar level.
The knockout stages, the moments that highlight the differences between the good teams and the better, made it clear that this competition is still far from Maccabi's level.
Saved by fingertips, Maccabi Tel Aviv’s night ended with an elimination (Photo: Shaul Greenfeld)
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