Maccabi Haifa F.C. recorded a famous 2-0 win against Italian giants Juventus in the UEFA Champions League (UCL) Tuesday night, clinching their first win on Europe's biggest stage since 2002.
Coming off three defeats on the spin from their three opening UCL matches, the back-to-back Israeli champions showed no signs of an inferiority complex, having dominated large swathes of the game, and gave a sold-out crowd in Sammy Ofer Stadium a night to remember.
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Maccabi Haifa players celebrating their historic UCL win against Juventus
(Photo: Oz Mualem)
Maccabi forward Omer Atzili grabbed the limelight with a brilliant first-half brace as a dejected Bianconeri side failed to come up with a response.
The result dents Juventus's hopes of qualifying to the UCL round of 16, taking Maccabi level with the Italians on three points in Group H as both sides look to bridge a four-point gap to Portugal's Benfica and France's Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) at the top of the table with two games remaining.
Maccabi will meet PSG in Parc De Princes on October 25 before returning to Sammy Ofer for the group's closing match against Benfica on November 2.
The Greens will also try to top the struggling Italian side in third place in hopes of booking a berth in the Europa League — the second-most prestigious continental competition.
This is Maccabi's first taste of UCL group-stage glory since a 3-0 triumph over Manchester United in October 2002.