Maccabi Tel Aviv vs FCSB

Maccabi Tel Aviv vs FCSBDeprived of the home comforts of Tel Aviv due to the ongoing Israeli conflict with Palestine, the return leg of an evenly-poised Champions League qualifying tie between Maccabi Tel Aviv and FCSB takes place at Budapest’s Bozsik Arena.

Despite dispatching Maccabi Petah Tikva 2-0 in the Israeli Super Cup in mid-July, Maccabi Tel Aviv looked rusty in the first leg, dropping a second-half lead to draw 1-1 in Bucharest. A lack of competitive form could be an issue for the reigning Israeli Premier League holders as they head into proceedings as marginal favorites to claim progression. Maccabi featured in the Champions League group stages as recently as 2015/16, but the last time they failed to make it out of the second qualifying round, FCSB’s domestic rivals CFR Cluj got the better of them in 2019/20. Though that’s a potentially ominous sign, Zarko Lazetic’s men can draw confidence from their stellar home record in European football, having won eight consecutive such fixtures before a 6-1 loss to Olympiacos in last season’s Europa Conference League knockouts.

Meanwhile, FCSB’s hopes of reaching the Champions League third qualifying round are in tatters amidst a rotten patch, with the visitors taking this trip winless in three competitive matches (D2, L1). Despite ending an eight-year title drought in the Liga I last season, Elias Charalambous’ men are no longer major players on the continental front. However, the Romanian giants boast a positive all-time record against Israeli opposition in European football (W2, D1, L1), suggesting they could still snatch away an unlikely win in Budapest. On a less impressive note, FCSB have failed to pick up a win on their last four competitive road trips (D2, L2), conceding precisely two goals on each occasion.