Maccabi Haifa F.C. defeated Italian soccer powerhouse Juventus 2-0 on Tuesday night, securing the Israeli team’s first UEFA Champions League win since 2002.
Forward Omer Atzili’s two first-half goals and Maccabi’s stubborn defense propelled the team to a historic victory before 30,074 fans at Sammy Ofer Stadium in Haifa.
The top two teams in Group H are currently Paris St. Germain and Benfica. After its loss, third-placed Juventus’ chances of advancing to the knock-out phase are slim.
Despite its 3-1 victory over Maccabi Haifa at home last week, Juventus has only collected three points from a possible 12 in four games played to date. The Italian team is also struggling domestically, in eighth place in Serie A.
Maccabi Haifa is last in Group H and second in the Israeli Premier League.
