Preview
Maccabi arrived at Turner stadium for the top of the table clash against leaders Hapoel Be’ersheva trailing the hosts by a point in the table. One match into the Playoff, Zarko Lazetic’s side have 60 points from 27 matches while Be’ersheva who had a point deducted by the IFA disciplinary court are on 61. Lazetic who guided Maccabi to a 1-0 victory over Be’ersheva at Bloomfield and saw his side held to a 2-2 draw at Turner was aiming to record a victory at the toughest ground in the league.
Raz Shlomo partnered Nemanja Stojic as the two central defenders in front of goalkeeper Simon Sluga. Tyrese Asante and Roy Revivo completed Maccabi’d defensive line on the right and left respectively. Issouf Sissokho in the anchorman role was named at the bottom of the midfield trio that included Gabi Kanichowsky and Dor Peretz. The 29-year-old whose winning goal in May 2018 inflicted Be’ersheva their first ever domestic defeat at Turner stadium, returned from suspension to lead the team out with the captain’s armband. Weslley Patati recovered from an ankle injury and was back in the side on one wing with Osher Davida who scored Maccabi’s opener against Hapoel Haifa before the international break, was named on the opposite flank. Dor Turgeman led the line aiming to increase his goal tally and inflict Be’ersheva their first home defeat this season.
On the bench Lazetic named goalkeeper Roi Mishpati, alongside Stav Lemkin, Idan Nachmias, Eran Zahavi, Joris van Overeem, Elad Madmon, Ofir Davidzada, Hisham Layous and Ido Shahar.
First Half
Maccabi’s players seemed unphased by the sea of red and wall of noise created by the home fans at Turner stadium. The 1530 Maccabi fans who packed the north east corner of the stadium were in a state of delirium after 10 minutes as Wesley Patati Maccabi put Maccabi infront. Raz Shlomo sent a long ball out of defence which Helder Lopez tried to head back to his keeper but Osher Davida latched on the loose ball and charged forward. With only the keeper to beat Davida opted to roll the ball past Niv Eliasi who saved but Patati reacted first and headed in the rebound from point blank range. Five minutes after Maccabi’s opener Dor Turgeman was cautioned by referee Orel Grinfeeld for going down in the box too easily.
In the 23rd minute Guy Mizrahi stopped Patati’s counter attack with a tackle that Grinfeeld ignored but was called by the VAR to the screen before sending off the former Maccabi Youth Academy graduate to leave the hosts with 10 men. A minute after the half hour mark Maccabi were awarded a free kick near the byline as Lopez tripped Davida. Patati turned from scorer to provider as he sent a pinpoint cross to the far post which was met by a Dor Peretz header that doubled Maccabi’s lead and silenced Turner.
Maccabi increased the lead to 3-0 as Peretz found Davida with acres of space down the right before the winger charged forward and squared to Patati who side footed the ball home for his second and Maccabi’s third. Inside injury time Maccabi came inches away from a fourth as Peretz tried a shot from the edge of the area which took a deflection to beat Eliasi but struck the crossbar and bounced out.
Second Half
While Lazetic kept his side unchanged, his opposite number Ran Kuzukh made a double substitution with Matan Baltaxa and Yoni Stoyanov replacing Eliel Peretz and Iuri Medeiros at the restart. Two minutes into the second half Be’ersheva cut the deficit as Kings Kangwa picked the ball inside his own area and ran almost the entire length of the pitch before exchanging passes with Dan Biton and rifling a shot into the top corner.
Lazetic made his first change as Elad Madmon came on for Dor Turgeman on 59. Roy Revivo nutmegged Be’ersheva opponent to break into the area but saw his effort saved by the keeper. Lazetic made two more changes in the 75th minute as Sissokho and Patati bowed out and were replaced by Joris van Overeem and Eran Zahavi for the closing stages. In the 86th minute Lazetic made two more changes as Tyrese Asante and Davida were replaced by Idan Nachmias and Hisham Layous.
Madmon could have increased the lead as he charged into the area but was stopped by Eliasi who also saved Zahavi’s powerful drive but nothing could dampen the mood at the final whistle
