Maccabi Haifa wins 2-0 to push Juventus to edge of Champions League elimination

Juventus is third in Group H after four matches, equal on three points with Maccabi, which remain bottom despite its first win, and five behind Benfica and Paris Saint-Germain.

Juventus is now five points behind Benfica and PSG in second and third places, repsectively. | Photo Credit: REUTERS

Omer Atzili scored twice as Maccabi Haifa beat struggling Juventus 2-0 on Tuesday in Champions League Group H, pushing the Italian giant to the brink of elimination.

Juventus is third in Group H after four matches, equal on three points with Maccabi, which remain bottom despite its first win, and five behind Benfica and Paris Saint-Germain.

Juventus had suggested its form was improving as it beat the Israeli team in Turin last week, but lost to AC Milan on Saturday to slide to eighth in Serie A.

The host dominated the first half at the Sammy Ofer stadium and took the lead after seven minutes.

Atzili outjumped the visiting defence to meet a cross from Pierre Cornud, and although he turned his head away just before making contact, the ball struck his back. Wojciech Szczesny reached the ball but it crawled through his outstretched fingers and in off the post.

Maccabi poured forward. Tjaronn Chery hit the bar. Szczesny saved from Atzili. The home team continued to dominate after Juventus midfielder Angel di Maria limped off with a thigh problem in the 24th minute.

Three minutes before half time, Atzil shaped to curl a left-footy shot inside the far post, but instead clipped it inside the near post with Szczesny rooted to his line.

Juventus managed its first strike on goal seconds before half time but Joshua Cohen saved low from Dusan Vlahovic’s header.

Juventus pressed from the start of the second half and Cohen saved high from a Daniele Rugani header flying toward the top corner.

He later saved from wingers Juan Cuadrado and Arkadiusz Milik but Maccabi created late chances as it held on comfortably.