On Thursday three Israeli teams will begin third round qualification play in their respective competitions. Maccabi Tel Aviv will host CSKA Sofia (19:00) Israel time) in Europa League play behind closed doors in Batumi due to a penalty imposed by UEFA due to pyrotechnics at the previous match last week.

Should the yellow-and-blue make it by the Bulgarian squad they will face OFI Crete in the playoff round with a ticket to the league phase on the line. Should they fall to the Conference League playoff round they will face the either Lugano or Runavik for the place in the league phase.

In addition, Beitar Jerusalem will take on Austria Wein (20:30 Israel time) in the first leg of third round Conference League qualifying in Ploiesti, Romania and should they advance to the playoff round they will match up against the winner of the Braga and Dinamo Minsk tie for a spot in the league phase.

Also, Hapoel Tel Aviv will also feature in the third round of the Conference League where they will play Katowice (21:00 Israel time) in a two legged tie. Should they make it past the Polish team they will match up against Italian Serie A powerhouse Atalanta in the playoff round for a place in the league phase.

Maccabi Tel Aviv Head Coach Kenny Miller spoke about his club clash with CSKA Sofia, “I think they’re a tough opponent who came through a very difficult tie against Qarabag in the previous round. They’re a team that works extremely hard for one another, with a very strong defense that doesn’t give away many chances. It will be a difficult match for us, but we’ve prepared well, watched their games, and we’ll be ready for the challenge that CSKA will present Thursday evening.”

Beitar Jerusalem bench boss Almog Cohen commented on Austria Wein, “First of all, we’re very happy that we managed to get through to the next round. That’s what we wanted, and we hope to keep doing that. But in football, nobody remembers the previous game. You live in the present, you live for tomorrow. What happened in Larnaca is already behind us and we’re 100% focused on Austria Vienna. We know they’re a very intense team, they run a lot, and we’re ready for whatever comes Thursday.”

Hapoel Tel Aviv Head coach Eliniv Barda spoke about their upcoming match versus Katowice, “We approach this game the same way we approach every match, with positive energy, especially in Europe. We’re very happy to be here, very proud to be here and we want to continue playing in this competition.”