Rapid Bucuresti | 1 - 3 | Hapoel Tel-Aviv |
|---|---|---|
| Ciprian Deac (pen 43') |  | Emmanuel Nosa Igiebor (12') |
| | Toto Tamuz (pen 40') | |
| | Salim Toama (45') | |
| Date | : | Sat, Nov 30, 2011 | Time | : | 21:05 CET |
| Play on | : | UEFA Europa League |
Hapoel Tel Aviv climbed off the bottom of Europa League Group C with a 3-1 victory over Rapid Bucharest in an otherwise meaningless encounter in Romania.
Both sides knew they could not progress to the last 32 of the competition with PSV Eindhoven and Legia Warsaw having already sewn up the two qualifying places.
But they still served up an entertaining encounter which featured three penalties and gave Hapoel revenge for having lost the reverse fixture 1-0 at Bloomfield Stadium on matchday one.
Rapid are now without a win in eight European home games and dropped to bottom of the group with three points from five games, one behind Hapoel.
It took the visitors 12 minutes to take the lead in front of a miserable crowd of just 4,529, with Toto Tamuz crossing for Emmanuel Nosa Igiebor to fire home from just six yards.
And Tamuz then doubled his side's advantage after 40 minutes with the first of the game's three penalties.
Ovidiu Burca was adjudged to have fouled Omer Damari in the area and Tamuz stepped up to hammer home the spot-kick, giving goalkeeper Danut Coman no chance with a right-footed drive.
However, the home side were back in the contest just three minutes later when Ciprian Deac pulled a goal back from the spot.
Deac, who is on loan at the Romanian club from Bundesliga side Schalke, went for placement rather than power after Vargas Barbosa Cassio was fouled by Omri Kende, but the outcome was the same.
In a frantic end to the first half, there was still time for Hapoel to restore their two-goal cushion as Salim Toama slotted home in injury time from 12 yards.
Rapid could have been forgiven for losing interest in the second half, but they came out fighting and should have reduced the deficit on 66 minutes from another penalty.
Bevan Fransman was penalised for bringing down Deac, but this time Deac's left-footed spot-kick was saved by Edel Apoula.
The home side continued to try to find a way back into the game, but were unable to create any further clear-cut chances.
Rapid Bucuresti vs Hapoel Tel-Aviv Last 5 match
| Rapid Bucuresti | Hapoel Tel-Aviv |
| Nov 3, 2011, Legia Warsaw 3 - 1 Rapid Bucharest | Nov 3, 2011, PSV 3 - 3 Hapoel |
| Oct 20, 2011, Rapid Bucharest 0 - 1 Legia Warsaw | Oct 20, 2011, Hapoel 0 - 1 PSV |
| Sep 29, 2011, Rapid Bucharest 1 - 3 PSV | Sep 29, 2011, Legia Warsaw 3 - 2 Hapoel |
| Sep 15, 2011, Hapoel 0 - 1 Rapid Bucharest | Sep 15, 2011, Hapoel 0 - 1 Rapid Bucharest |
| Aug 25, 2011, Rapid Bucharest 1 - 1 Slask Wroclaw | Aug 25, 2011, Hapoel 4 - 0 FK Ekranas |
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