There will be a trio of Israeli teams in European play on Thursday as Maccabi Tel Aviv welcomes Sheriff Tiraspol to Batumi, Beitar Jerusalem will host AEK Larnaca in Ploiești while Hapoel Tel Aviv heads to face Ludogorets. All three clubs are leading in their respective qualifiers and will look to advance to the next round.

Maccabi Tel Aviv heads into the second leg of second round Europa League qualifying against Sheriff Tiraspol as they hold a 5-0 lead after the first leg in a home game that will be played in Batumi, Georgia due to the ongoing security situation in Israel. Should Maccabi advance they will play the winner of the CSKA Sofia and Qarabag tie which heads into the second leg goalless.

Ahead of the match, Head Coach Kenny Miller and central defender Itay Ben Hemo spoke about the upcoming clash, “This is the next step toward the goal we want to achieve, playing football in the group stage. We’ll approach this match in exactly the same way we did last week. It’s obviously much easier when you come into the game with a lead like this than with a draw or a narrow advantage, but it brings its own challenge of complacency. The mindset can change and that’s something we’ve spoken about a lot. We have to approach this match with the same respect for Sheriff that we showed them last week and produce the same level of performance.”

Ben Hemo added, “Last week we showed good quality and won 5-0, but we’re approaching this game in exactly the same way. We prepared in exactly the same manner and we want to win this match as well. Personally, I’ve felt great since the start of the season. The coach has shown faith in me, and I’m happy I’ve been able to repay that trust. I hope to maintain my good form, help the team and achieve our goals.”

Over in Romania, Beitar Jerusalem holds a 1-0 lead over AEK Larnaca as they ready for second leg, second round Conference League play. Should the yellow-and-black get by the Cypriot squad they will face the winner of the Austria Wein and Liepaja tie (2-0 Austria after the first leg).

At the prematch press conference Head Coach Almog Cohen and forward Eugene Ansah looked ahead to the challenge that awaits, “Football is where you should express your abilities. We are prepared and understand the magnitude of the responsibility. Everyone who comes to Beitar Jerusalem understands the responsibility and the level of expectations that come with this club. For me, that feeling exists in every match, even in a friendly and certainly in a crucial game where we have 90 minutes to qualify for the next round. The fans expect us to always be at our best, so the responsibility and expectations are with us at every moment.”

Eugene Ansah spoke about joining Beitar and how he has integrated so far, “I feel really good and it’s special to be part of this club. Everyone at the club has helped me feel like I’m part of the team, both off the pitch, in training, and during our activities together. Beitar is a big club and we all know that. I’m very happy to be here, and I’m working hard to help the team succeed and achieve its goals.”

Finally, Hapoel Tel Aviv will play in Razgrad, Bulgaria where they will meet Ludogorets as they hold a 2-0 lead after the first leg of second round Conference League qualifying. Should the reds move on they will play the winner of the Zilina and Katowice match up (2-1 in favor of Zilina) with the first leg slated to be a home contest that will be played in Hungary, Hapoel’s home away from home.

Head Coach Elyaniv Barda said, “First and foremost, we’re here to continue the second part of what we started last week. That was only the first half of the job, and we still have another match tomorrow. We expect to build on our performance and improve the things we didn’t do well enough. We’re expecting a tough game. One of the biggest challenges is coming into every match believing all over again that you can do it. But the players are doing everything they can to improve, and I know we have to be better than we were in the first match. Ludogorets are a team we have a great deal of respect for, and with another important game ahead of us, we need to be fully alert and ready.”

Bulgarian Andrian Kraev added, “Coming into the second leg with an advantage from the first match is a comfortable position to be in, but we know tomorrow is going to be a very difficult game and completely different from the one we played last week. With all due respect to Ludogorets, we have to be 100 per cent focused and fully concentrated tomorrow to finish the job.”