Watch: Maccabi Tel-Aviv out to silence doubters after ‘worst performance’ against Ħamrun Spartans

Maccabi Tel-Aviv are aiming to deliver a dominant performance in the second leg of their UEFA Europa League third qualifying round tie against Ħamrun Spartans, on Thursday night (kick-off: 8pm).

The match will take place in Serbia due to the ongoing war involving Israel.

Despite winning the first leg in Malta, Maccabi were far from satisfied with their performance. Coach Žarko Lazetić admitted the display fell well below expectations.

“We are not satisfied with how we played in the first leg. It was one of the worst performances, although we got the result. No one is happy with that performance,” Lazetić told a news conference.

“I was a player myself – I know how tough it is to play in such conditions. It might be easier for teams with less quality, and we saw in the first 15 minutes how the match was going to be – we had three chances and they had two, so there was no control.”

Lazetić pointed to several factors that hampered his team, including the Maltese heat, the pitch, and even the match ball.

“There is a temperature difference now. Here it’s cooler. You saw Dynamo Kyiv struggling against Pafos (who eliminated Maccabi from the UEFA Champions League) in Cyprus due to the heat – and Pafos won. Now we will be playing in a different stadium, and I’m pretty sure the balls will be normal too.

“To be better, we must play more compact and execute the plan. Obviously, there will be mistakes at this time of the season given it’s still pre-season, but there is no excuse for the temperature now.”

Defender Nemanja Stojić echoed the sentiment that conditions played a role, but stressed the need for improvement regardless.

“It’s not easy. We might not have looked good against Ħamrun, but it was not easy to play on that pitch and at the same time not easy to play against 10 players behind the ball,” Stojić said.

“We must play better, but sometimes these types of matches happen. We need to be better with the ball, better in positioning, and do simple things better. We are the better team, and we showed that in the last 10 minutes of the first leg. We need to be more ambitious, make sure to score the first goal, and everything will be easier.”

Maccabi will be favourites to advance, but they are determined to ensure the second leg reflects their true quality and avoid being surprised by a Ħamrun Spartans eyeing history.