Battling for a place in the League Phase of the revamped Europa League, Backa Topola and Maccabi Tel Aviv will lock horns for their playoff second leg on Thursday night.
TSC have a mountain to climb following a poor first-leg showing last week, meaning that the Yellows know that any type of result could be enough for advancement into the next stage.
Match preview
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Finishing third in the Serbian Super Liga during the 2023-24 season, Backa Topola were placed directly into the playoff round of this term's Europa League, although it appears as if their European adventure could be coming to an end after just two matches on the continental stage.
During the first leg against Maccabi Tel Aviv last week in Hungary, TSC endured a disastrous first half in which both Mateja Djordjevic and Mihajlo Banjac received their marching orders, meaning that the visitors played the second period with just nine men.
In the end, Maccabi were able to ease to a three-goal success to secure a major second-leg advantage, with Dor Turgeman, Dor Peretz and Elad Madmon all breaching the net of Backa Topola goalkeeper Veljko Ilic.
TSC's poor form extends from the Europa League to their domestic schedule, with Thursday's hosts currently sitting 10th in the Serbian Super Liga, winning just two of their opening five league contests of the 2024-25 term.
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Dropping out of contention for a place in the revamped and expanded Champions League following a defeat to FCSB in the second round of qualifying, Maccabi Tel Aviv have become the big fish in the preliminary stages of UEFA's second-tier club competition and look set to progress into the League Phase.
Just four days after their Toto Cup success over Bnei Sakhnin on August 18, the Yellows made their way over to their European base in Hungary and dispatched an ill-disciplined Backa Topola side, who will now need to pull off a major shock to prevent the Israelis from advancing.
The Tel Aviv club are yet to commence their Israeli Premier League schedule due to a number of postponements, although they should start their domestic campaign on Sunday evening with a trip to Maccabi Petach Tikva.
Taking over in the managerial hotseat from ex-Tottenham Hotspur and Republic of Ireland striker Robbie Keane over the summer, Zarko Lazetic has won four of his first six matches in charge of the Yellows and will be looking to inflict more pain on his former employers TSC on Thursday night.
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Team News
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After both seeing red in Hungary during the first leg, striker Banjac and centre-back Djordjevic are unable to feature in the deciding contest for Backa Topola.
As a result, TSC will require new solutions and faces at bottom ends of the pitch, with veteran Stefan Jovanovic likely to come into the backline.
Needing at least three goals to stage a comeback, Backa Topola could convert to a more attacking approach, meaning that the likes of Milos Pantovic and Petar Stanic might be promoted from the bench.
Following the keeping of a clean sheet versus the Serbians last time out, Maccabi Tel Aviv should stick with a centre-back pairing of Raz Shlomo and Tyrese Asante.
The only player in the Yellows' front three who failed to provide a goal contribution in Hungary last Thursday, Hisham Layous could drop to the bench for this one.
Backa Topola possible starting lineup:
Ilic; Vlalukin, Jovanovic, Stevanovic, Petrovic; Radin, Capan, Dakovac; Jovanovic, Cirkovic, Pantovic
Maccabi Tel Aviv possible starting lineup:
Mishpati; Yehezkel, Shlomo, Asante, Davidzada; Peretz, Sissoko, Kanichowsky; Davida, Layous, Turgeman
We say: Backa Topola 2-0 Maccabi Tel Aviv (Maccabi Tel Aviv win 3-2 on aggregate)
Supported by a passionate and hostile home crowd, Backa Topola should have enough to win the contest on the night, although it might not be enough to satisfy their need for at least three goals.
Maccabi will be looking to avoid another European capitulation after last season's 6-1 defeat to Olympiacos, and we feel that the Yellows will narrowly do just that.
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