Kenny Miller left no doubt about the size of the test facing Maccabi Tel Aviv on Thursday. Speaking ahead of the Conference League playoff second leg against FC Lugano in Batumi, the Scottish manager said his squad arrive "in very good condition" and have "prepared ourselves well" for a night that will decide whether the club reaches the competition's league phase.
Maccabi go into the return leg trailing 2-1 on aggregate after losing the first meeting in Lugano on August 20. Kevin Behrens and a Anto Grgic penalty put the Swiss side in control, with Ido Shahar's goal the only reply for the Israeli champions.
Miller, according to ONE, stressed that his players fully grasp the stakes. "The players understand what is on the line, and they have prepared themselves properly," he said, adding that a congested calendar spanning three competitions this season has made squad management especially demanding.
Fan backing, he said, will be "critical" as Maccabi try to close the gap in Georgia rather than at their own stadium. Reaching the Conference League league stage would guarantee the club a minimum run of continental fixtures through the winter.
Defender Mohamed Ali Camara struck a defiant tone alongside his manager. "We don't think they are better than us," the Guinean centre-back said, rejecting any notion that Lugano start as favourites despite their first-leg lead.
Camara framed the tie as a chance for the club to keep building its European standing. "Taking this additional step forward" matters for the broader campaign, he said, while also pointing to supporters as a factor that will give the team "tremendous power on the pitch" in Batumi.
Maccabi's route to this playoff has already been a long one. The club was eliminated from Europa League qualifying earlier this month, losing 4-3 on aggregate to CSKA Sofia after a 3-0 defeat in the first leg was only partially repaired by a 3-1 win in the return fixture. That exit dropped them into the Conference League playoff round against Lugano.
Domestically, Miller's side head into the European fixture full of confidence. Maccabi thrashed Hapoel Jerusalem 5-2 away in the Israeli Premier League on August 23, with Dor Peretz scoring a hat-trick alongside goals from Roy Revivo and Saied Abu Farchi.
As with all of Maccabi's continental fixtures this season, Thursday's second leg will not be played at the club's own ground. The tie goes ahead at Batumi's Adjarabet Arena in Georgia, the neutral venue UEFA has required for Israeli clubs' home matches in Europe, with the game reported to be sold out.
Kick-off is set for Thursday evening. A win in any form sends Maccabi through to the Conference League league phase; anything less than victory, depending on the scoreline, could end their European campaign for the season.
