After the painful relegation against Shakhtar Donetsk in the Europa League, Maccabi Tel Aviv returns to focus on the Premier League and tomorrow (Monday, 20:15) it will host MS. Ashdod, hoping to narrow the gap from the leader Maccabi Haifa back to two points.
Coach Patrick Van Leven Speaking about the game in Ukraine: “It was not too cold, the weather was pleasant for football and I enjoyed it. We played well, but it ended and we have to look forward to league and cup games. Ashdod is always a team that comes to play football, and that’s the style we like to play against.”
“We will need a high-level performance to come out with a good result,” the Dutchman added. “The players need to be with both feet on the ground after the best performance in Europe, despite the result. The players understand that and are only concentrated in the next game. They are all as fit as last week and we have enough players.”
Also the champion brake, Shahar Phiben, Complimented the opponent: “Ashdod is a very good team and will have an attractive game against an excellent team with excellent players. We are waiting to meet them tomorrow and prove that we are better.”
On his team’s campaign in the Europa League, Phiben said: “I was injured and could not take part in the campaign, but the team did really above and beyond, and I think they proved their place in the European arena at these stages, it was really an amazing campaign. I think we wish to reach those positions again this season Next, we have more experience now and expect to have a chance to be in this place again. “
“I was proud of my friends’ performance,” the brakeman continued. “We had a bit of bad luck in front of goal, like beams, jamb and the disqualified goal that I thought was legal. But all this can be said in retrospect and we have to put everything behind, move forward and look forward to tomorrow’s game and the rest of the season we started on the left foot. “Fight for all the Aryans. We are at the peak of readiness and we hope to win and that everything will work according to the coach’s plan.”