Ħamrun Spartans now know their next European opponents, Maccabi Tel Aviv, after the Israeli side suffered a 2-1 aggregate defeat to Pafos FC in the UEFA Europa League Second Qualifying Round.
It was a chaotic night for Maccabi in Serbia. After losing their starting goalkeeper Yoav Gerafi to injury just 10 minutes in, a red card for his young replacement Ofek Melika forced Maccabi to use a third goalkeeper before the half-hour mark. Pafos took full advantage of their extra man, with Jaja curling in the winning goal just before halftime. Despite late pressure, Maccabi couldn’t find the equaliser and were knocked out of the competition.
However, they drop into the UEFA Europa League Third Qualifying Round, where they will now meet Maltese champions Ħamrun Spartans. The first leg will be played on Tuesday, 5th August at the National Stadium in Ta’ Qali, while the second leg is set for Thursday, 14th August at the TSC Arena in Bačka Topola, Serbia.
Another big European test awaits Ħamrun, who will be hoping to make the most of home advantage in the first leg.
