Benfica get another possible Europa League rival after Israel final row | OneFootball

Benfica learned last Tuesday, 26 May, of another possible opponent for the second qualifying round of the Europa League. Maccabi Tel Aviv won the Israeli Cup by beating Hapoel Beer-Sheva 2-1, a result that ended up changing the list of teams in the Eagles’ European path.

. Hélio Varela, a Cape Verde international born in Almada, restored parity before Roy Revivo sealed Maccabi Tel Aviv’s victory.

The match was also marked by a climate of enormous tension in the final moments. In total, six red cards were shown, three for each team, with five of those dismissals coming after the final whistle.

With this triumph, Maccabi Tel Aviv secured a place in the second qualifying round of the Europa League, precisely the stage at which Benfica - which is defining its market priority - enters the competition. However, the Israelis will be seeded, a scenario that prevents a clash with the Eagles at this stage of the competition.

The Israeli side’s victory therefore pushes Dynamo Kyiv into the group of unseeded teams. In this way, the historic Ukrainian club can now be drawn against Benfica in the draw scheduled for next 17 June.

The calculations for the European qualifiers may still undergo further changes. Everything will also depend on the Cyprus Cup final between Apollon Limassol and Pafos. If Apollon win, they could enter the Eagles’ path directly. If Pafos come out on top, Sheriff of Moldova will drop into the pot of Benfica’s possible opponents.

There is another scenario that could affect the draw. Karviná, winners of the Czech Cup, are involved in an alleged corruption scandal and could lose their UEFA licence. If that happens, Hradec Kralove will enter the qualifiers and could also face Benfica.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.