Continuing their quest for a place in the group stage of the Champions League, Israeli champions Maccabi Haifa clash with their Cypriot counterparts Apollon Limassol on Wednesday evening.
The pair kick off their third qualifying round tie at the Sammy Ofer Stadium, with the winners after next week's second leg advancing to the playoff round; the losers slipping into the Europa League.
Match preview
Having joined the qualifying process in the second round, Maccabi Haifa have already made waves in Europe's top club competition: knocking out Olympiacos in spectacular style last Wednesday.
After being held to a 1-1 draw in the first leg, the return in Piraeus produced perhaps the biggest upset so far this summer, with Tjaronn Chery's fifth-minute strike setting the stage for a Frantzdy Pierrot brace and Mohammad Abu Fani's late goal.
A stunning 5-1 aggregate success sets Haifa up for the penultimate preliminary stage, as they seek to secure a group stage appearance for the first time in over a decade.
The Greens qualified for their latest shot at the big time by claiming a second successive Israeli Premier League title last season, after coming close in both the 2018-19 and 2019-20 campaigns.
Twelve months after ending their 10-year wait to be crowned national champions, Barak Bakhar's side successfully defended the title by an eight-point margin in May, and having lost in the first round of Champions League qualifying to Kazakhstan's Kairat last year, are now aiming to fare better in Europe.
Preparations for their continental campaign did not run smoothly, though, as friendly losses to Mechelen and Vitesse Arnhem were followed by a penalty shootout defeat at the hands of Hapoel Be'er-Sheva in the Israeli Super Cup final.
Nevertheless, Haifa will be riding the crest of a wave on Wednesday, following their second round exploits, so Apollon Limassol may well commence their campaign with a certain amount of trepidation.
Joining the qualifying process at this third round stage, Apollon beat AEK Larnaca to top spot in Cyprus last term, and with their fourth domestic title in the bag, they now mount a challenge for a first-ever Champions League group appearance.
Though they have twice made the same stage of the Europa League in the last five years - both times failing to progress to the knockout rounds - Alexander Zorniger's current side are keen to break new ground.
The former RB Leipzig and Brondby head coach has seen his squad lose three of their four warm-up games - the most recent being a 1-0 defeat to Torino in Austria - but the stakes will be far higher over the coming week.
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Team News
Maccabi Haifa midfielder Mahmoud Jaber, who sustained a thigh injury against Hapoel Be'er Sheva in the Super Cup, subsequently missed both matches against Olympiacos but will hope to return this week.
In his absence, the hosts' captain Neta Lavi will join ex-QPR man Tjaronn Chery in the engine room of a probable 4-3-3 formation.
Omer Atzili, Dean David and Dolev Haziza - who scored a combined 62 goals across all competitions last season - are set to continue as an attacking trio, while summer signing Nikita Rukavytsya provides an alternative option from the bench.
Apollon Limassol, meanwhile, recently secured the season-long loan of Israel Under-21 starlet Ido Shahar, and the Maccabi Tel Aviv academy product could feature on Wednesday, upon his return to home soil.
Shahar made 12 appearances last season, including eight in the Europa Conference League, and joins another new recruit in contention to start for the visitors. Well-travelled defender Mathieu Peybernes, formerly of Goztepe and Almeria among others, has terminated his contract with Malaga to sign a three-year deal in Limassol.
While Ilian Iliev is out of action with a foot injury, Cyprus international Ioannis Pittas should start up front, alongside French forward Bagaliy Dabo.
Maccabi Haifa possible starting lineup:
Cohen; Sundgren, Goldberg, Planic, Menahem; Mohamed, Lavi, Chery; Atzili, David, Haziza
Apollon Limassol possible starting lineup:
A. Jovanovic; Cabral, Roberge, Peybernes, Khammas; Iliev, Kyriakou, Jradi; Janga, Dabo, Pittas
We say: Maccabi Haifa 3-1 Apollon Limassol
Benefiting from the momentum gained by three competitive outings, compared with their relatively undercooked opponents, Maccabi Haifa are set to take a lead into next week's second leg. As a result, Apollon will have a mountain to climb upon their return to Cyprus.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Jonathan O'Shea
