Maccabi Tel Aviv is still without points in the Europa League even after the fourth round, when tonight (Thursday) it ended in a 5:0 defeat to Ajax, in a game that showed the big differences in levels between the two teams. The yellows, with their fourth loss in a row in all formats, will hope to return to the league and recover in the battles for the local championship.
Jarko Laztic came up with a formation of three defenders and two strikers, with Shagib Yehezkel and Ido Shahar being placed on the wings, but from the very first moment you could see that the Israeli champion did not have much of a chance. Roi Mishfati showed good ability between the posts despite the absorptions, when he prevented Brian Robi from scoring several times in the first half, but surrendered in the 14th minute. The striker set up an easy goal for Bertrand Traore with a push in front of an empty net, and the Dutch started celebrating. Five minutes later, Maccabi thought they had returned to the game in a big way with an equalizer from Daniela Rugani’s own goal, but Elad Madmon, who was involved in the move, was in a different position and the goal was disallowed. Ajax punished with another beautiful attack when in the 27th minute Kenneth Taylor enjoyed a second assist from Robbie, this time with the heel, and the midfielder scored the 0:2 for the host. Mika Hodets nailed the third even before halftime (39), in complete dominance by Ajax.
The Dutch didn’t take their foot off the gas in the second half either, and after a mistake by Mishvi that set up a free ball for Ajax inside the box, Robbie finally scored with a rocket into the upper net. Precisely in the minutes when Maccabi tried to get back to business and tighten up, Kian Fitz-Jim nailed the fifth in the 69th minute and increased the yellow defeat. The Israeli champion was unable to get close to the goal until the end, and recorded a painful defeat, the biggest since the 6:1 to Olympiakos in the Conference League last season, on the way to the bottom of the table with Dynamo Kyiv the only ones without a point this season in the factory.
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