Maccabi Tel Aviv vs CFR Cluj tips

Maccabi Tel Aviv's home record is a force to be reckoned with. They are still unbeaten at home since April 2018 in a premier league playoff with Hapoel Beer. Since them, they have been unbeaten at home extending to the end of last season. Out of 13 home games last season, they won 11 games, drew 2 games, scored 33 goals and conceded only 4 at home. The record speaks for itself.

Maccabi qualified for Group Stage 2 years ago but unfortunately last term, they qualified for the playoff stage, bowed out to Sapsborg beating them 2-1 at home but lost 1-3 earlier in the 1st leg.

Maccabi is another team that regularly makes apperances in the final stages of qualification as well as group stage.

Judging on the fact that CFR Cluj's away performances in Europe competitions are just average, it is now to Maccabi's advantage to secure the next stage. Based on the away match Cluj had with Astana earlier this month in which Astana won 1-0, it is quite clear that Cluj do struggle away especially with teams who have pace to attack and Maccabi is a much better home team if compared to Astana.

Cluj have been wanting to qualify for group stages for a long time now but unfortunately, the 1-0 aggregate from the 1st leg may not be enough to face a strong home side like Maccabi. It is going to be tough esoecially that now Maccabi needs to win at all cost either equalizing the 1-0 margin and bringing it into extra time or go all out in search of more goals to qualify before 90mins are up. In addition, any visiting team will find it difficult to play on the away Israeli turf. Cluj will have a tough nut to crack, defending all the way won't be a solution, they need to come out and find an away goal ot two but that may lead to leaving spaces and vulnerable defending as they did against Astana. It is going to be very difficult keeping up with the Maccabi's pace when they play home.

Maccabi Tel Aviv to win.