Elyaniv Barda has given his players a blunt verdict on what stands between Hapoel Tel Aviv and a first appearance in the Conference League's league phase: perfection, and then some. "We will need a more than perfect game tomorrow to qualify for the Conference League," the Hapoel coach said on the eve of Thursday's playoff decider against Atalanta, according to ONE.
The two sides played out a goalless draw in the first leg in Bergamo, a result that leaves the tie delicately poised but offers Hapoel no cushion. Away goals no longer count as a tiebreaker in UEFA's club competitions, so the Israeli side must find a way to win outright on the night in normal time, extra time or on penalties to advance.
Kickoff for the return leg is set for 21:00 local time, with the match being staged at the DVTK Stadium in Miskolc, Hungary, rather than in Israel. The winner advances to the newly expanded Conference League league phase, along with the guaranteed fixtures and prize money that come with it.
Barda was unequivocal about the scale of the task in front of his players, naming Atalanta among the favourites to win the competition outright this season. The Serie A club, regular Champions League participants in recent campaigns, arrive as the clear favourites against an Israeli side chasing a historic result.
It is not an unfamiliar position for this Hapoel group. After the first leg, Barda praised his players for sticking to their principles against "a great team," while noting there was still room for improvement even though "the better chances were ours," comments carried by the Jerusalem Post. Goalkeeper Assaf Tzur was required to produce a string of saves in stoppage time to preserve the clean sheet in Bergamo.
Winger Omri Altman struck a more upbeat note ahead of the second leg, pointing to the travelling support and promising fans an electrifying atmosphere inside the stadium as Hapoel look to close out the tie in front of them.
A win on Thursday would rank among the biggest results in Hapoel Tel Aviv's modern European history, delivering group-phase football against a run of continental qualifying opponents the club has already had to fight past this summer.
