Haifa and Juventus demand victory

Elisha Levy insists there will be no margin for error when his Maccabi Haifa FC side welcome Juventus in UEFA Champions League Group A on Tuesday, with the Israeli club obliged to win to preserve any hopes of progressing in the competition. Levy's charges have yet to collect a single point in the section, but that does not mean the visitors will be taking them for granted. Second in the standings, Juve lie just one point ahead of FC Bayern München and coach Ciro Ferrara knows he must rouse his players quickly after their dispiriting weekend home loss to SSC Napoli.

Elisha Levi, Haifa coach
Everyone knows we are perfect in the league but failed to collect points or score goals in the Champions League. We are aware of Juventus's strengths and qualities, but so far we don't seem to have been that far behind our opponents. We have failed to convert our chances, but we have improved in every match we have played and I hope it will show again on Tuesday. We will play in the same way, but you have to remember that every match is different. I just hope we finally get our names on the scoresheet.

Ciro Ferrara, Juventus coach
I believe Felipe Melo will get better and I think he will make the game. As for the game itself, we put all the anger aside so we'll have one goal – that is to win. I understand I have the responsibility for the wins and the losses of the team and I never run away from this responsibility. There is no stress surrounding this game. We have to win it and the team is very serious about this match. The goal is to learn from our mistakes. I make mistakes and so do the players. Nedvěd was a legendary player for Juventus and so we hope the new players we brought in will fill his place. Alessandro Del Piero has been absent for most of the season and he's been missed. I believe he will get well soon and will start to participate in the games. Our hope is to win here. We would like a grand win but I'd rather take a certain victory than a glorious display.

Weekend results
31/10/09 Haifa 2-0 Maccabi Netanya FC
(Arbeitman 69 90+1)

• Shlomi Arbeitman struck his 12th and 13th goals of the campaign in all competitions as Haifa continued their 100 per cent start to the Ligat Ha'Al season.

• The Israeli titleholders have claimed maximum points after eight league matches for the first time since 2005/06. Then they went on to win their opening eleven games en route to the title.

• Haifa have gone 20 matches unbeaten in Ligat Ha'Al since a 1-0 defeat at Hapoel Ironi Kiryat Shmona FC on 28 February.

31/10/09 Juventus 2-3 SSC Napoli
(Trezeguet 35, Giovinco 54; Hamšík 59 81, Dátolo 64)

• The loss was Juventus's first at home in the league in nine months, dating back to a 3-2 defeat by Cagliari Calcio on 31 January.

• Sebastian Giovinco's effort was his first for Juventus since 14 March.

Team news
Haifa
Out: Eyal Golasa (hip)
Suspended: Tiago Dutra, Baram Kayal
Misses next match if booked: Gustavo Boccoli

Juventus
Out: Hasan Salihamidžić (ankle, knee), Alessandro Del Piero (thigh), Claudio Marchisio (knee), Jonathan Zebina (thigh), Vincenzo Iaquinta (meniscus), Martín Cáceres (broken nose), Mohamed Sissoko (thigh)
Suspended: none
Misses next match if booked: none

Background
• Juve were made to work hard for their win in the reverse fixture on Matchday 3, only Giorgio Chiellini's 47th-minute header separating the sides. The win left Ciro Ferrara's team in second place in Group A with five points, two behind FC Girondins de Bordeaux while Haifa are still to get off the mark in terms of goals or points and know a fourth straight defeat could spell an early end to their European season.

• Maccabi won all three home games in qualifying – scoring 13 goals – but went down 3-0 to FC Bayern München in their opening Group A match at the Ramat Gan Stadium. In their previous group-stage appearance in 2002/03 they took six points from their three home fixtures.

• This is Juventus's second visit to the Ramat Gan Stadium where they earned a 1-1 draw at Maccabi Tel-Aviv FC in the 2004/05 UEFA Champions League group stage. It took a 71st-minute Alessandro Del Piero equaliser to salvage a point for the Bianconeri, who had earlier beaten Tel-Aviv 1-0 at home through a Mauro Camoranesi goal.

Did you know?
Juventus claimed a goalless draw at Bayern on Matchday 2 but have won just two and lost four of their last ten away matches in Europe, qualifying ties included.