Maribor’s footballers have (again) made it. After beating Hapoel from Beer-Sheva with 1:0, Maribor has qualified for the elite Champions League for the third time in its club's history (1999, 2014). Maribor’s hero was Mitja Viler.

The 30-year-old Viler scored the triumphant goal in the 15th minute. After a run by Valon Ahmedi, Viler sent the ball, in spectacular style, into the right corner of the goalkeeper Guy Haimov’s net.
But not only Viler, the entire team of the Slovenian champions thrilled from the very first minute with their fighting spirit and great desire in front of more than 12,000 spectators at the Ljudski Vrt Stadium. The Violets controlled the match for most of the time and were clearly the better team. Hapoel (seriously) threatened only once, in the 89th minute, when goalkeeper Jasmin Handanović made a remarkable save after a header from Anthony Nwakaeme. And then the long and joyous night could start in Maribor…. The final statistics: ball possession 55:45, shots off target 9:8 (both in favour of Hapoel) and shots on target 3:3.
The draw for the Champions League group stage will be on Thursday at 6pm in Monaco.
Aleš Vozel, Dolores Subotić, photo: BoBo, translated by A. L.