Hapoel Tel-Aviv FC - Atalanta: the return leg that decides the path to the league phase
Hapoel Tel-Aviv FC and Atalanta meet in the second leg of the Conference League playoff, with the winner of the tie securing a place in the league phase of the competition. For supporters planning their trip, one practical correction is the most important: the match on August 27 will be played at DVTK Stadium in Miskolc, Hungary, and not at Bloomfield Stadium in Tel Aviv. Atalanta's current schedule lists kickoff at 20:00 CEST.
This is not merely an administrative change of venue. Hapoel already knows the stadium in Miskolc because it played home matches there during the earlier qualifying rounds. Elyaniv Barda's team therefore enters the return leg on a ground that is not completely unfamiliar, while Atalanta must deal with a European tie outside Italy for the first time in the new season.
The first match is played in Bergamo on August 20, so at the time of writing it is still impossible to know with what result the teams will arrive in Miskolc. That is precisely why the return leg should be viewed as the decisive 90 minutes of a tie whose tactical shape will largely be determined by the result from Bergamo.
Tickets for this match are in demand among supporters.
How Hapoel reached Atalanta
Hapoel Tel-Aviv FC did not reach the playoff without serious tests. The club's return to European competitions after a long absence began against Ludogorets. Hapoel won the first match in Miskolc 2-0, and the tie ended 4-2 on aggregate for the Israeli team.
The next obstacle was GKS Katowice. Hapoel was again the home side at DVTK Stadium and built an important advantage with a 2-0 victory. Stav Toriel scored as early as the 5th minute after a pass from Omri Altman, while Roei Alkokin doubled the lead in the 18th minute after Emmanuel Boateng won the ball.
The return leg in Poland was considerably more uncomfortable. Hapoel again started the match well and Toriel scored in the 23rd minute to make it 1-0. GKS Katowice nevertheless turned the result around late on and won 2-1, but Hapoel protected its 3-2 aggregate advantage and earned the tie against Atalanta.
That journey shows several things that will also be important against the Italian team. Hapoel is capable of attacking early, makes good use of moments after winning the ball and has already shown that it can defend an aggregate lead under pressure. On the other hand, the closing stages of the return leg in Katowice are a warning for Barda: two goals conceded in the final part of the match almost cancelled out the quality work from the previous roughly 170 minutes of the tie.
- Hapoel - Ludogorets: 2-0 in the first match, qualification with a 4-2 aggregate score
- Hapoel - GKS Katowice: 2-0 in the first match in Miskolc
- GKS Katowice - Hapoel: 2-1, Hapoel advances 3-2 on aggregate
- Stav Toriel scored in both matches against GKS Katowice
- Hapoel then beat Hapoel Kiryat Shmona 2-1 in the Toto Cup semifinal
Hapoel arrives with another dramatic victory
Between the tie against GKS Katowice and the trip to Bergamo, Barda received another confirmation that his team does not give up in the closing stages. Hapoel trailed from the 6th minute in the Toto Cup semifinal against Hapoel Kiryat Shmona, while the opponent played with ten men from the 30th minute.
The equalizer did not arrive until the 90+6th minute, when El Yam Kancepolsky crossed for Daniel Dappa. Two minutes later Douglas Owusu shot from distance, the ball reached Dappa, and the striker completed the turnaround for 2-1 with his second headed effort.
Barda also used players in that match who had not all been in the starting lineup against Katowice. Marcus Coco, Roei Alkokin and Stav Toriel came off the bench, while Douglas Owusu received his first minutes for the team. That gives the coach several different options for the tie against Atalanta, especially if the result from Bergamo requires a more aggressive approach in Miskolc.
Hapoel players worth watching
Stav Toriel enters this tie as one of Hapoel's most productive players of the European summer. He scored against GKS Katowice both in Miskolc and in Katowice, which is particularly interesting because both goals came in the early stages of the matches. Against a team that is still absorbing the demands of a new coach, such a fast start can have great value.
Omri Altman brings experience and is important in creation. His pass created the opening goal against Katowice, and in the return leg he was again involved in several of Hapoel's dangerous situations. Alongside him, Andrian Kraev and Lucas Falcão give Barda options in midfield.
Up front, Emmanuel Boateng is important because of his work off the ball and in transition. It was precisely his ball recovery that preceded the second goal against Katowice in Miskolc. Roei Alkokin has also already shown that he can attack the space behind the defense, while Daniel Dappa, with two late goals against Kiryat Shmona immediately before the tie with Atalanta, further intensified the competition.
In defense, Marcus Coco, Fernand Mayembo, Chico and Doron Leidner started against Katowice, in front of goalkeeper Assaf Tzur. Barda then rotated part of the back line in the domestic cup, so the lineup for Atalanta cannot be reliably predicted in advance.
Atalanta enters a new era under Maurizio Sarri
For Atalanta, this tie is the first competitive challenge of the 2026/27 season. The team is led by Maurizio Sarri, and the summer preparations were focused on adapting to his demands. The final training session before the first match against Hapoel included work on the attacking phase, which is particularly relevant against an opponent that knew how to defend an acquired advantage in the previous rounds.
Atalanta went through a series of different tests during preseason. Against Arezzo, it came back from two goals down to win 3-2. Feyenoord then defeated it 2-1 in an unusual match played over a total of 120 minutes. In Germany, Atalanta responded with a 3-0 victory against Schalke 04, while its final serious test before the start of the competitive season ended with a 1-0 victory against Athletic Club in Bergamo.
The decisive goal against Athletic Club was scored by Nicola Zalewski immediately after the break. The way Sarri distributed minutes among a larger number of players was also important, because the schedule after the first match against Hapoel quickly brings the start of the domestic league and then the return leg in Miskolc.
Atalanta's squad depth
The starting lineup against Athletic Club showed how many options Sarri has. Marco Carnesecchi was in goal, while among the players who started were Odilon Kossounou, Giorgio Scalvini, Raoul Bellanova, Nicola Zalewski, Éderson, Gianluca Gaetano, Lazar Samardžić, Giacomo Raspadori and Gianluca Scamacca.
Davide Zappacosta, Mario Pašalić, Nikola Krstović, Marten de Roon and Sead Kolašinac came off the bench. Krstović scored against Feyenoord during preseason, while Éderson was among the scorers in the comeback against Arezzo.
This means that Hapoel cannot prepare for only one type of striker. Scamacca offers a strong central reference point, Krstović can bring a different dynamic, while Raspadori allows plenty of movement between the lines. Bellanova and Zalewski provide width and acceleration from the wide positions, while Samardžić, Éderson and Gaetano can create from the middle.
- Atalanta - Arezzo 3-2
- Feyenoord - Atalanta 2-1 after a match played over 120 minutes
- Schalke 04 - Atalanta 0-3
- Atalanta - Athletic Club 1-0
- Nicola Zalewski scored the winning goal in the final warm-up match
Where the return leg could be decided
The biggest tactical question before the return leg is not the formation but the result of the first match. If Atalanta builds an advantage in Bergamo, Hapoel will have to leave more space open in Miskolc than it had to against Katowice. If the score remains level or Hapoel brings an advantage from Italy, Sarri will face a team that has already shown it can patiently defend an aggregate result.
For Hapoel, the initial pressure after losing the ball will be particularly important. Atalanta has technically gifted players in midfield and enough pace on the flanks to punish a poorly positioned defense. Hapoel therefore cannot allow its entire team to remain ahead of the ball after an unsuccessful attack.
On the other hand, Atalanta must take into account Hapoel's ability to start matches quickly. Toriel's early goals against Katowice are not something Sarri can ignore. One goal in the opening 15 or 20 minutes of the return leg could completely change the plan for the tie.
Set pieces could also play an important role. Altman showed quality in distribution against Katowice, Hapoel has physically strong players in the penalty area, while Atalanta possesses serious height and strength through Kossounou, Scalvini, Scamacca, Krstović and Kolašinac.
There is no recent head-to-head history that offers a simple answer
Unlike many European ties involving major clubs, there is no series of recent head-to-head matches here from which a clear pattern could be drawn. Hapoel's last meeting with an Italian opponent before this tie dates back to the 2001/02 season, when its European run ended against AC Milan with a 2-1 aggregate score.
That is why current form is more important than historical statistics. Hapoel has already passed two qualifying obstacles and arrives with several competitive matches in its legs. Atalanta has the stronger individual squad, but the tie against Hapoel is its first competitive test of the new season. It is precisely that difference between Hapoel's competitive rhythm and Atalanta's quality that makes the start of the tie particularly interesting.
DVTK Stadium - Hapoel's temporary European home
DVTK Stadium is located in Miskolc, a city in northeastern Hungary, in the Diósgyőr district. The stadium's address is Andrássy Gyula utca 61, 3533 Miskolc. The current stadium opened in 2018, and StadiumDB lists a capacity of approximately 14,600 spectators.
The stands are compact and positioned close to the pitch, without a large athletics track separating spectators from the action. Even more importantly for Hapoel, this will not be the first visit of its supporters to Miskolc. The club has already hosted Ludogorets and GKS Katowice at the same stadium during the current qualifiers.
This creates an unusual situation. Hapoel is formally the home team, but it plays the match outside Tel Aviv and outside Israel. Nevertheless, after several previous appearances at DVTK Stadium, the logistics are more familiar to the players, coaching staff and some of the supporters than would be expected from a traditional match at a neutral venue.
Places in the stands are disappearing quickly.
How to get to the stadium in Miskolc
For visitors coming to the city for the first time, the simplest connection is by public transport toward the western part of Miskolc. Local transport information for the DVTK complex lists the tram connection between the main railway station Tiszai pályaudvar and the western part of the city as the simplest option.
- DVTK Stadium is located at Andrássy Gyula utca 61 in Miskolc.
- The tram line toward Felső Majláth passes by the sports complex.
- The DVTK Stadion or Bulgárföld városrész stops can be used for arrival.
- The area is also accessible by bus lines that stop at Bulgárföld városrész.
- There are parking areas around the sports complex, but their usage arrangements may change depending on events and traffic restrictions.
Supporters arriving by car should sensibly allow extra time. DVTK Stadium and the neighboring sports facilities are located in the same complex, so the availability of individual parking areas may depend on events taking place that day.
The opening time of the gates for Hapoel Tel-Aviv FC - Atalanta is not stated in the sources used for this guide, so it should not be assumed. For a European match with entry checks, it is more practical to plan an earlier arrival than to count on entering immediately before kickoff.
Miskolc for supporters arriving from other countries
Miskolc is one of the larger cities in northeastern Hungary and is located considerably farther from Hapoel's Israeli home than a normal home European match would imply. For international visitors, it is therefore important to plan the journey to Miskolc, not to Tel Aviv.
The main railway station Tiszai pályaudvar is connected by public transport with the western part of the city and the Diósgyőr area. Since the tram connection passes close to the stadium, public transport is a more practical choice for a supporter without a car than searching for parking in the immediate vicinity of the entrances.
DVTK Stadium itself is located outside the very center of the city. This should also be taken into account when booking accommodation: the distance to the city center is not the same as the distance to the stadium, so it is useful to check the late-evening connection after the match in advance.
What kind of atmosphere to expect
Hapoel supporters have already traveled in large numbers during the qualifiers. After the match in Katowice, the club specifically highlighted the support of hundreds of fans who arrived in Poland, while the matches in Miskolc were also organized with significant support from the red-clad stands.
Atalanta, on the other hand, comes from a football environment in which European away trips have been nothing unusual in recent seasons. Although DVTK Stadium is smaller than the largest European arenas, its compact construction allows the sound from the stands to remain close to the pitch.
A special circumstance remains the fact that the home supporters are also traveling. This means the atmosphere will not look like a standard Hapoel match at Bloomfield. The number of spectators, the arrangement of the away section and the balance between supporter groups will depend on the organization of the match, but the importance of the return leg itself provides enough reason for an intense end to the qualifying summer.
It is worth securing tickets in time.
What the winner gets
The stakes are simple: the winner of the tie advances to the league phase of the Conference League. Atalanta enters the competition directly in the playoff, while Hapoel has already had to get past Ludogorets and GKS Katowice to reach this point.
For Barda's team, qualification would extend a European return that began after 12 years without appearances in continental competitions. Hapoel finished the previous domestic season in fourth place and has already turned that position into a serious summer story through the qualifiers.
For Sarri's Atalanta, elimination at the first competitive European hurdle of the new season would be a heavy blow, while qualification would open a months-long international program. That is why the schedule between the first match, the start of the domestic league and the return leg is unlikely to change the basic priority: the tie must be decided in Miskolc on August 27.
Hapoel will try to use its competitive rhythm, the familiar surroundings of DVTK Stadium and players who have already scored important goals in qualifying. Atalanta responds with considerably greater squad depth, Sarri's new project and a number of players capable of deciding a match through an individual action.
When the return leg begins, it will not matter that DVTK Stadium is not Hapoel's true home. The pitch, the result from Bergamo and the final 90 minutes of qualifying will determine who continues the European season.
Sources:
- Atalanta - confirmation of the tie, the date and time of the return leg in Miskolc, Maurizio Sarri, preseason matches, the lineup against Athletic Club and training before the first match.
- Hapoel Tel Aviv - reports against Ludogorets and GKS Katowice, lineups, Elyaniv Barda, the European journey and the victory against Hapoel Kiryat Shmona.
- Conference League organizer's website - confirmation of the Hapoel Tel-Aviv FC - Atalanta pairing, the return match and DVTK Stadium as the venue.
- StadiumDB - information about DVTK Stadium, its address, construction and capacity.
- MVK Zrt. and the DVTK sports complex - information about tram and bus access as well as traffic and parking in the stadium area.