Hamrun Spartans vs Maccabi Tel Aviv prediction, H2H and probable lineups - August 5, 2025
Ileana Sanchez
Dailysports's expert
On Tuesday, August 5, in the first leg of the Europa League third qualifying round, Hamrun Spartans will host Maccabi Tel Aviv. I'm backing a bet on goals in this encounter.
Key facts and head-to-head history
- Hamrun have won only 1 of their last 5 matches.
- Over 2 goals were scored in 3 of Maccabi Tel Aviv's last 5 games.
- Hamrun Spartans have never reached the final qualifying round of the Europa League.
- These teams have never faced each other before.
Match preview
Hamrun Spartans are a humble representative of Maltese football. The red-and-blacks have clinched the national title for a third consecutive year—an impressive feat for the club. But an even greater achievement is that Hamrun are now on the verge of reaching the main stage of either the Europa League or the Conference League.
In the Champions League first qualifying round, Hamrun Spartans pulled off a shock by defeating Lithuania's Zalgiris. Both sides exchanged 2-0 home wins, but the Maltese side held their nerve in the penalty shootout. However, in the next round, Giacomo Modica's men were outclassed by Dynamo Kyiv, suffering back-to-back 0-3 defeats as expected.
Maccabi Tel Aviv struggled but ultimately clinched the Israeli championship last season. The yellow-and-blues edged out Hapoel Be'er Sheva by just two points. However, Zarko Lazetic's squad failed to impress in the Champions League qualifiers.
The Israeli champions entered the fray in the second round, facing Cypriot side Pafos. Maccabi Tel Aviv snatched a late 1-1 draw away, but suffered a narrow 0-1 defeat in the nominal home leg. Maccabi also lost 1-2 to Hapoel Be'er Sheva in the Israeli Super Cup clash.
Probable lineups
- Hamrun Spartans: Bonello - Camenzuli, Polito, Bielicic, Petrillo Compri - Eder, Hadji, Simkus, Cadenovic, Mbong - Koffi
- Maccabi Tel Aviv: Mishpati - Revivo, Kamara, Stoich, Asante - Sissoko, Liderman, Patati, Peretz, Davida - Turgeman
Hamrun Spartans vs Maccabi Tel Aviv prediction
Hamrun suffered two goalless defeats to Dynamo Kyiv but created chances in both matches. I believe the Maltese side will find the net this time, so I'm backing both teams to score.
