FC Porto coach Julen Lopetegui will tomorrow attempt to beat José Mourinho’s record of consecutive home wins for the Dragons, with a 20th straight victory at the Estádio do Dragão in all competitions (the absolute record being 24 under Artur Jorge, 30 years ago).
To do so his team need to overcome Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Champions League. What can Porto expect from the Israeli side? BBC World Service journalist Raphael Geller tells us.
1. Current form. How have Maccabi Tel Aviv looked form-wise in recent weeks?
Maccabi Tel Aviv just beat 2nd-place Maccabi Petah Tikvah this weekend and are currently sitting in first. They have played 7 matches in the league and have won five, drawn one and lost one. Obviously the Champions League has been difficult for Maccabi, but it is important to remember that they were able to get by Basel over two legs. They are scoring a lot of goals and are creating a lot of chances. They have won all their big matches this year in the league and it looks like Slavisa Jokanovic is the perfect manager for Maccabi Tel Aviv.
2. Ones to watch - Who are Maccabi’s star players?
Eran Zahavi. Zahavi is already considered by many as one of the best players ever to play in Israel. He has scored 63 league goals since the start of the 2013/14 season. If wasn’t for Zahavi the club would not have made it to the Champions League. He scored two massive goals versus Viktoria Plezn (3rd round of UCL Qualifiers) and a stunning goal late in extra time in Basel to give Maccabi a chance at home in the second leg. Maccabi have not managed to score in the first two matches of the UCL season, but if anyone is going to score the first goal it’s going to be Zahavi.
Zahavi’s “Cristiano Ronaldo” goal at Basel:
Predrag Rajković. The 19-year-old Serbian international is considered by many to be the best goalkeeper in Europe for his age. Maccabi bought him for €3 million, one of the most expensive transfers in the history of Israeli football. Rajkovic has already played for the senior Serbia team and this summer was voted the best goalkeeper in the 2015 U-20 World Cup as Serbia surpassingly won the tournament. He has made several beautiful saves this year and could keep Maccabi in the match.
Tal Ben Haim I (important to note there are 2 Tal Ben Haim’s!) The 33-year-old who has over 90 appearances with the National Team has played for Manchester City, Bolton and Chelsea and brings a lot of experience and leadership to the squad. Although he is not the same player he was when in the UK, he still plays at a really high level and is the heart and soul of the Maccabi defence.
3. Strong points/weak points – what must Porto beware of and what can they exploit?
Strong points: As mentioned above, Maccabi have a really talented goalkeeper who could play a major factor. It is also important to remind everyone that nearly every Israeli who plays for Maccabi Tel Aviv is a member of the National Team. Maccabi will not be intimated by playing in front of such a huge crowd. All Eran Zahavi needs is a few seconds to create a shot and score a goal. In the previous UCL matches, he didn't have a lot of opportunities, but if he gets a good look at the goal, he will score.
Manager: Slavisa Jokanovic, in my opinion he is one of the best managers in Europe. He knows how to get 110% out of his players and is brilliant tactically.
Weak points: I am sure Porto will look to expose Maccabi’s defence. Maccabi has had some issues with its defence in the Premier League and in the Israel National Team. Nosa Igiebor is out due to injuries and has been one Maccabi’s best midfielders. Injuries rule out Nosa Igiebor, Dejan Radonjic and Eli Dasa.
4. Formation and playing style – what system do Maccabi usually play? Would you describe them generically as an attacking or a defensive team?
Maccabi are an interesting team because they don’t play the same formation every match because they use Zahavi in different ways. Sometimes he plays as striker while other times he plays behind the striker. Maccabi also utilise a number of strikers, so every match the formation is different. I would say a 4-5-1 is likely for this match. Usually Maccabi are an attacking team but that is in the Israel Premier League. Maccabi players are always very confident because of their recent success in Israel (treble last year, three-straight titles) and will certainly be aiming to get points at Porto.
5. Maccabi lost their first two Champions League matches in Group G. Do they feel they have not done themselves justice so far in the group, and is there still any expectation of surviving in Europe beyond Christmas?
It has been a poor start, but that said many are happy Maccabi are in the group stages. Maccabi Tel Aviv are a huge brand not just in Israel but around Europe. The basketball team is one of the best teams in Europe and has won the European basketball version of the Champions League (Euroleague) several times. Many supporters always travel with Maccabi and I expect there to be a lot of supporters in Porto. In the match versus Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, you could hear Maccabi fans way more than the Chelsea fans. Maccabi realise it is a very difficult group, but they are going to do their best to get points. Realistically, finishing fourth would not be a disappointment at all, while finishing 3rd and qualifying for Europa League would be a huge achievement.
6. Mood in the camp – judging by player/coach quotes regarding this game, do you think Maccabi go into the match in a confident frame of mind?
Everyone is happy and positive. Maccabi Tel Aviv’s players are still upset about not qualifying for the 2016 Euro play-off and will look to get a positive result that can take their minds off the disappointing campaign. Players are giving interviews saying they are looking to come back with points. To be honest, Maccabi supporters would be happy if Maccabi can simply score a goal this match. There have been Israeli teams in the Champions League that didn’t score one goal in the 6 matches.
7. What do you think the result of the match will be?
My heart says 2-1 Maccabi, but it is likely to be the opposite. That said, I think Maccabi will look a lot better in this match then in the previous two.
Our thanks to Raphael Geller. For more from Raphael follow him on Twitter @Raphael_Geller.
