Ibraimi at the double as Maribor oust Maccabi
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
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Maccabi Tel-Aviv FC 2-2 NK Maribor (agg: 2-3)
Agim Ibraimi scored in each half as the Slovenian champions secured a spot in the play-off round with a second-leg draw.
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Agim Ibraimi scored twice as NK Maribor secured a 2-2 draw against Maccabi Tel-Aviv in Larnaca to enter Friday's UEFA Champions League play-off draw.
The visitors doubled their aggregate lead when Ibraimi put them 1-0 up on the night on 36 minutes, but a resilient Maccabi turned the tables with goals either side of half-time from Tal Ben-Haim and Eden Ben Basat. Moments after Ben Basat's aggregate equaliser, though, Ibraimi pulled the rug from under Maccabi with the eventual winner – his second of the night.
The opening goal came as Damjan Bohar's low shot was parried by Juan Pablo, the Maccabi goalkeeper, into the path of Ibraimi. Maccabi equalised six minutes later when Ben Haim converted after the Maribor defence failed to clear Dor Mikha's pass.
Nine minutes after half-time the Israeli champions took the lead when Mikha's cross allowed Ben Basat to convert from close range but Macabbi's advantage lasted just a minute as Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia striker Ibraimi pounced to score from Dare Vršič's pass.
Maccabi refused to give in, and Jasmin Handanovič impressively denied both Maharan Radi and Basat from close range before Bohar passed up a golden opportunity in the final minute, firing over with the goal at his mercy.