Maccabi Tel Aviv and Nice will lock horns for a spot in the Europa Conference League group stage over the next week, starting with Thursday's qualifying playoff round first-leg tie at the Bloomfield Stadium.
Lucien Favre's side enter the third-tier tournament at this stage, while their Israeli hosts have seen off Zira and Aris Thessaloniki in the previous rounds to make it this far.
Match preview
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Kicking off the 2022-23 season with an early elimination from the Toto cup Ligat Al was not the ideal way for Maccabi Tel Aviv to initiate proceedings, but the 24-time Israeli champions are still in contention for a place in the Europa Conference League proper.
After getting the better of Zira 3-0 on aggregate in the second qualifying round, Vladimir Ivic's side were seemingly home and dry after securing a 2-0 advantage over Aris in the first leg of their third-round battle before the Greek outfit threatened a second-leg comeback.
A familiar name in Andre Gray scored from the spot for Aris before Cheick Doukoure bagged a second for his side, but in between Aris' pair of strikes, Eran Zahavi had come off the bench to net what would prove to be the crucial goal for Ivic's outfit.
Zahavi was, rather appropriately, part of the PSV team that eliminated Maccabi Tel Aviv from the Europa Conference League at the last-32 stage in 2021-22, but the Israeli striker has now saved the Yellows' bacon in Europe as they inch ever closer to another group-stage berth.
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Re-adjusting to life without the wily Christophe Galtier in the hotseat was always going to take some time for Nice to wrap their heads around, even if former luminary Lucien Favre was the man to replace the Paris Saint-Germain-bound Frenchman.
An opening 1-1 draw with newly-promoted Toulouse saw Nice begin their new era in slightly disappointing fashion, and they played out another two-goal stalemate at the weekend versus Strasbourg, who battled them for a spot in Europe last season.
With 35 minutes on the clock, Nice were awarded a penalty when Gerzino Nyamsi carved down Amine Gouiri, with Andy Delort stepping up to fire home into the bottom corner, but Kevin Gameiro chipped the previously impenetrable Kasper Schmeichel early in the second half to restore parity for Les Coureurs.
Now facing their first game back in continental competition for over a year, Les Aiglons are aiming to translate their domestic improvements into better fortunes on the continent after they bowed out in the group stage of the 2020-21 Europa League.
Thursday's game will mark the inaugural competitive meeting between Maccabi Tel Aviv and Nice, but Les Aiglons did come up against Israeli opposition in the shape of Hapoel Be'er Sheva in the 2020-21 Europa League, winning 1-0 at home before losing away by the same scoreline.
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Team News
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Maccabi and Aris' second-leg encounter was certainly a bad-tempered affair, and Ivic will have to make do without the suspended Dan Glazer after he was sent off just before the hour mark in that 2-1 defeat.
A spot has therefore opened up in the engine room for Eyal Golasa to partner Joris van Overeem, while left-back Ofir Davidzada is still nursing a groin injury and should miss out.
Zahavi's crucial contribution off the bench last time out should see Ivic consider him for a start over Djordje Jovanovic up front, while 35-year-old Sheran Yeini will captain the side from the backline.
Nice, on the other hand, have no continental suspensions to serve this week, but Kasper Dolberg and Hichem Boudaoui missed the draw with Strasbourg due to shoulder and back injuries respectively.
Lucas Da Cunha, Alexis Trouillet and Morgan Schneiderlin are not expected to be part of the group either, but it would have been a surprise to see any member of the trio start this contest.
The appropriately-named Rares Ilie was handed a rare start at the weekend, but Favre should consider swapping the 19-year-old Romanian out for Aaron Ramsey or Alexis Claude-Maurice this week.
Maccabi Tel Aviv possible starting lineup:
Peretz; Yeini, Saborit, Bitton; Geraldes, Van Overeem, Golasa, Hozez; Kuwas, Kanichowsky; Zahavi
Nice possible starting lineup:
Schmeichel; Lotomba, Todibo, Daniliuc, Bard; Claude-Maurice, Thuram, Rosario; Stengs, Delort, Gouiri
We say: Maccabi Tel Aviv 0-2 Nice
Whether some complacency crept into Maccabi Tel Aviv's play during their second leg with Aris is a question only the players can answer, and the hosts certainly go into Thursday's game holding the underdog tag.
Nice were largely indebted to Schmeichel for keeping the scoreline at 1-1 at the weekend, but Favre's bright attacking forces should propel their side to a healthy first-leg lead this week.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Ben Knapton
