Porto v Maccabi Tel Aviv: Zahavi wants Israeli champions to show their worth

Eran Zahavi has called on Maccabi Tel Aviv to prove they belong in the Champions League as they approach Tuesday’s Group G clash with Porto. 

The Israeli outfit visit the Estadio do Dragao looking to claim their first points of the campaign.

Maccabi lost 4-0 to Premier League champions Chelsea and were then defeated 2-0 by Dynamo Kiev and they now face a Porto side that has been in magnificent form under coach Julen Lopetegui this season.

Porto famously won the competition for a second time back in 2004 under Jose Mourinho and are unbeaten in all competitions this campaign.

Lopetegui’s men are level with Sporting Lisbon with 17 points at the top of the Primeira Liga and have four points from two games in the Champions League after beating Mourinho’s Chelsea 2-1 last time out.

Maccabi head the Israeli Premier League and go into the meeting with Porto on the back of wins over Hapoel Acre and Maccabi Petah Tikva.

Zahavi has scored three goals in Maccabi’s last two games and was their talisman in qualifying for the Champions League with seven goals.

And the attacking midfielder is hopeful the momentum picked up from the victories in the league will prove pivotal against Porto.

“I think that both the game against Petah Tikva and Acre will help us as every match gets us in better shape,” Zahavi told Maccabi’s official website.

“We will be playing a game at a totally different level and we have to get ourselves prepared for that.

“I really hope we can get a good result and now we’re going to deal with Porto. We want to take some points and make sure we get something out of this campaign.

“We achieved our goal of making it to this tournament but now we have to try and get something out of it, play solid football and show that we have something to offer at this level. I believe in our team and I hope we can do something this Tuesday.

“As a child you dream about playing on the biggest football stage in the world and that’s where we are. We didn’t come into this just to be here and I hope we can achieve the goals we set for ourselves and succeed in the upcoming match.”