Europa League
2025-08-05 - Hamrun Spartans vs Maccabi Tel Aviv
A Sports Betting Pick by Auls
Football: UEFA Europa League Third Qualifying Round First Leg
Tuesday 5th August 2025 - Kick Off 6pm
Preview
Some of the big European Leagues are now on the verge of getting domestic campaigns up and running, while the Champions League Third Qualifying Round First Legs look tough to read as clubs begin to sense they can join the elite names around the continent.
Those still involved in the Champions League have yet to suffer a defeat in European Football, but for those treading the League Path of the Europa League, the time at the top table has already come to a close.
Hamrun Spartans were able to beat Zalgiris in the First Qualifying Round, but they were well beaten by Dynamo Kyiv in the Second Qualifying tie with a 6-0 aggregate loss on the board. They are facing off against Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Europa League with both keen to move through to the Play Off Round of this competition, which would also mean guaranteeing Group Stage Football in either the Europa League or Conference League.
Upsetting Zalgiris after losing the First Leg 2-0 away from home will have given Hamrun Spartans confidence, but the victory in the Second Leg is the only 1 in 5 games in all competitions. In fact, Hamrun Spartans have lost 4 of those fixtures and they do not host this in their usual home, which can be a contributory factor to poorer results.
Over the last few years, Hamrun Spartans have become accustomed to playing in the early Qualifying Rounds, but they have lost 5 of their last 7 when hosting since July 2023. That includes the thumping defeat to Dynamo Kyiv, while another club playing out of Israel, Maccabi Haifa, beat Hamrun Spartans 0-4 away from home in the Champions League Qualifiers of the 2023/24 season.
The host may take some confidence from the fact that Maccabi Tel Aviv were upset by Pafos in the Champions League Second Qualifying Round with a 2-1 aggregate defeat knocking them down to the Europa League.
However, last season Maccabi Tel Aviv suffered the same fate of losing 2-1 on aggregate in the Champions League Qualifiers and thus joining the Third Qualifying Round of the Europa League. On that occasion, Maccabi Tel Aviv made short work of Panevezys and FK TSC in consecutive Rounds and won all four Qualifying matches played.
The side were unable to work their way out of the Group Stage of the Europa League with a 29th place finish in the new format, but Maccabi Tel Aviv have to believe they have enough quality and experience to work their way through this tie.
Maccabi Tel Aviv have yet to see the domestic campaign begin, but they should be a little more hardened after the two tough ties played against Pafos over the last couple of weeks.
This is the first time these two clubs are facing one another in a competitive fixture.
Prediction
Losses in the Champions League Qualifiers will have stung, but it does feel like Maccabi Tel Aviv are best positioned to bounce back as they begin their bid to reach the Europa League Group Stage instead.
Twelve months ago, Maccabi Tel Aviv got over the disappointment of losing in the Champions League Qualifiers to comfortably progress in two Qualifying Rounds of the Europa League.
They should be pretty comfortable with the draw that has paired them with Hamrun Spartans, who were beaten easily by Dynamo Kyiv in their own Champions League Second Qualifying defeat.
Credit has to be given to Hamrun Spartans for getting the better of Zalgiris last month, but this is not a club that has an extensive record of winning UEFA ties.
Two years ago, they were crushed by Maccabi Haifa and, while likely to be more competitive, Hamrun Spartans may struggle to keep Maccabi Tel Aviv from taking a lead into the Second Leg of this tie.
The Pick :
Hamrun Spartans 0-2 Maccabi Tel Aviv
