Tel Aviv win in vain over Legia

Hapoel Tel Aviv got the better of Legia Warsaw to claim a 2-0 victory and ensure a third-place finish in Group C of the UEFA Europa League despite losing Gal Shish's to a red card. With Tel Aviv unable to qualify for the round of 32, the only question to settle was whether they or Rapid Bucuresti propped up the table and goals from Salim Toama and Avichai Yadin made sure it would not be them. Shish was shown a second yellow card after 63 minutes with the score at 1-0, but Hapoel did not let that prevent their victory. Dickson Choto had the first shot of the game for Legia, volleying over the bar from Maciej Rybus' corner after five minutes. Tomasz Kielbowicz went closer ten minutes later, firing a 12-yard effort towards goal, only to see Edel Apoula make the save. The visitors continued to dictate the pace, Choto again shooting over the top, this time from Kielbowicz's delivery. Janusz Gol worked Apoula after 20 minutes, but Hapoel almost went ahead when Toto Tamuz's effort was smartly tipped round the post by Wojciech Skaba. The opener came in the 33rd minute after Choto fouled Roei Gordana 25 yards from goal. Toama took the free-kick and shot it left-footed beyond Skaba. He went close with another free-kick before the interval, but this time was just off target. There was nothing more than a couple of half-chances in the first 15 minutes of the second half, both to Legia, but the game changed when Shish - booked just after the restart - earned a second caution in the 63rd minute. Rybus came to life in the aftermath of that decision, finding more space and testing Apoula twice in as many minutes. Rybus' corner then found Michal Kucharczyk, but his header squirmed wide. Miroslav Radovic also failed to put his side on level terms when presented with the chance and the Polish side paid the price on 76 minutes. Mahmood Abbas provided the assist from the right flank, with Yadin curling his shot home from the edge of the area to double the advantage. And despite their numerical advantage there was nothing Legia could do to get back in the game.