Israeli soccer champions Maccabi Haifa will face traditional Italian powerhouse Juventus – nicknamed “The Old Lady of Italian Football” – and two other top sides after qualifying for the group stage of European soccer’s most prestigious club tournament, the Champions League.
Haifa defeated a lacklustre Austrian club Red Bull Salzburg 3-0 last week to advance to this stage. They’re the first Israeli team to reach the group stage more than once.
The other teams in their group are German champions Bayern Munich and the French side Bordeaux. But it could have been worse. Other teams in the group stage of the Champions League include the cream of European soccer, Manchester United, Chelsea, Real Madrid and Barcelona.
The top two teams of each of the eight groups advance to the next playoff stage. The third-place teams qualify for the less prestigious, but still competitive, Europa League. Realistically, this would be Haifa’s goal.
Haifa started the game in Ramat Gan last week with an advantage after beating Salzburg in Austria 2-1. Coach Elisha Levy decided to sit out promising striker Shlomi Arbeitman in favour of the Georgian Vladimir Dvalishvili, who scored Haifa’s first goal in the 31st minute. Levy also started 17-year-old hopeful Eyal Golasa, who also scored.
Reaching the group stage is a windfall for the club, who will get a minimum 7 million euros bonus from UEFA, European soccer’s governing body.
Haifa last reached the group stage in 2002. Maccabi Tel Aviv is the only other Israeli team to have reached this stage before, in 2004.
