Streller and Stocker head Basel past Maccabi

FC Basel 1893 set up a UEFA Europa League round of 16 tie against FC Salzburg after earning an ultimately comfortable victory against Maccabi Tel-Aviv FC. 

It was the Valentin Stocker and Marco Streller show at St. Jakob-Park as the duo lived up to their billing as the leading lights in this Basel outfit and shared the goals to take the Swiss side through. The tie was poised at 0-0 after last week's round of 32 first leg, but any home nerves would have been calmed by Stocker's 17th-minute header before Streller struck twice after half-time.

Basel had already shown their hand before they nudged in front, trying to get in behind the visiting full-backs at every opportunity. The ploy soon worked as Behrang Safari went wide and clipped in a cross that Stocker gambled on at the near post to head past Juan Pablo.

Maccabi had been knocked out of UEFA Champions League qualifying by Basel back in August, and although they were full of running – this was their first ever post-Christmas appearance in European competition – they could not get on the front foot in Switzerland. Streller had hooked one effort wide and presented Stocker with another chance from a clever back-heel before the big forward scored himself on the hour.

The second came just after Maccabi passed up their only clear opening of the game, Yann Sommer saving brilliantly from Maharan Radi's close-range drive. Basel went down the other end and Serey Die's perfect centre was nodded in by Streller. It knocked the stuffing out of Paulo Sousa's men and it was no surprise, 11 minutes later, when Stocker headed across for Streller to glance in another off the post.