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Champions League | Playoff Round
Aug 25, 2015 at 7.45pm UK
 
Basel

1-1

Zahavi (24')
FT(HT: 1-1)
Zuffi (11')

Basel bow out of Champions League to gritty Maccabi Tel Aviv

Maccabi Tel Aviv eliminate Basel from the Champions League on away goals to reach the group stages.

Maccabi Tel Aviv have dumped Basel out of the Champions League on away goals to book their first group-stage participation in the competition for 11 years following a 1-1 draw on the night.

With the aggregate score at 2-2 following last week's stalemate in Switzerland, Maccabi's two away goals gave them the favourites tag ahead of tonight's conclusion in Israel.

However, Nosa Igiebor conceded a foul just outside the area on 14 minutes, and Luca Zuffi made him pay by curling home the set piece to fire Basel 3-2 ahead overall.

Basel's players celebrate after scoring their first goal during the UEFA Champions League playoff football match second leg between FC Basel and Maccabi Tel Aviv at the Bloomfield Stadium in Tel Aviv on August 25, 2015© Getty Images

The hosts responded well and the second leg looked like following the same see-saw pattern as its predecessor when Eran Zahavi - who scored both last week - replicated his heroics on 24 minutes to tip the tie in Maccabi's favour.

On 42 minutes, Zuffi almost cancelled out Maccabi's away-goal advantage completely, but his close-range piledriver sailed just over the bar.

With a first group-stage participation since the 2004-05 season up for grabs, Maccabi could not afford to rest on their laurels as they diligently went about their work in the second half.

However, Taulant Xhaka came within a whisker of spoiling the party when his volley sailed just wide of the post shortly after the hour mark.

It proved the last real chance that Basel fashioned, with Maccabi holding on as a return to the big time now beckons.

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Basel's Czech defender Marek Suchy congratulates his teammate Argentinian midfielder Matias Delgado after he score a penalty during the UEFA Champions League playoff football match between FC Basel and Maccabi Tel Aviv at the St Jakob Park stadium in Base
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