Maccabi Tel Aviv is on their way to punching their ticket to the UEFA Conference League Round of 32 after a 5-0 demolition of HJK in Helsinki, Finland. Gaby Kanichowsky scored a brace to lead Patrick van Leeuwen’s squad to the big victory.

With the win, Maccabi has 7 points after three group games with a trio more to come as HJK will meet up with the Yellow & Blue once again next week at Bloomfield Stadium as the club will look to not only record a victory but also ensure a place in the next stage of the competition with two games remaining in group play.

It may have taken Maccabi Tel Aviv a bit of time to finally break the goalless deadlock, but once Kanichowsky finally found the back of the Finnish goal from 16 meters out off an Eyal Golasa ball in the 28th minute, the floodgates opened up in the second half with a quartet of markers.

Stipe Perica doubled the advantage in the 49th minute via a penalty after he was yanked down in the box while ten minutes later Kanichowsky notched his second strike of the match thanks to an Andres Geraldes cross for a 3-0 lead.

Following some wholesale substitutions, Eduardo Guerrero was taken down in the box and Enric Saborit slotted home the slot kick while Eden Shamir joined the party deep into injury time when he nodded home a Geraldes ball to wrap up the win.

Maccabi Haifa also notched an important Conference League win as they blanked Slavia Prague 1-0 at Sammy Ofer Stadium on a first half goal by Godsway Donyoh. The win hands Barak Bachar’s squad second place with four points after three group stage game just behind Feyenoord.