Preview
Maccabi arrived at the Petah Tikva stadium ahead of the WINNER League MD36 encounter against local side Hapoel for a match which will conclude the 2025/26 league campaign. On the back of two defeats 1-2 to Beitar Jerusalem at Bloomfield and 2-4 to Hapoel Be’ersheva at Turner, Maccabi will finish the season in third place regardless of the outcome of the match against sixth placed Petah Tikva. But, three days before facing newly crowned Champions Be’ersheva in the State Cup Final at Teddy stadium, interim Head Coach Kenny Miller will try guide his side back to winning ways. With the Cup Final in mind, Miller made several changes to his starting line-up resting some of his regular starters after a long and hectic campaign. Roi Mishpati made his first start in goal since the State Cup Semi Final victory over Maccabi Haifa in mid April. Raz Shlomo and Heitor dos Santos lined up as the two central defenders in front of Mishpati while Itai Ben Hamo and Noam Ben Harosh started at right and left back respectively. At the heart of midfield, Ben Lederman, made his first start since the Cup victory over Maccabi Jaffa in February and his 19th appearance in all competitions. Itamar Noy made his 30th league appearance and 46th in all competitions this season in Maccabi’s engine room. Dor Peretz who scored in Maccabi’s last five outings to take his tally to 18 league goals which already guaranteed the top scorer award together with Kiryat Shmona’s Adrian Ugarriza was named by Miller at the top of the midfield trio. Kervin Andrade who scored one of the goals at Turner in midweek, was named on one wing with Elad Madmon on the opposite flank. Yonas Malede made his first start of the season and ninth appearance in total as the 26-year-old forward will lead the attack aiming to add to his one goal scored this season against Bnei Sakhnin in February.
On the substitutes bench alongside goalkeeper Ofek Melika, Miller named: Roy Revivo, Tyrese Asante, Sagiv Jehezkel, Kristijan Belic, Saied Abu Farchi, Ido Shahar, Emir Sahiti and Osher Davida.
First half
The afternoon sun and some 4500 travelling Maccabi fans welcomed both set of players onto the pitch for a match that had no real effect on the table. Right from the start the two sides were geared up for an open game of football. Two minutes from the start Elad Madmon carried a counterattack down the right before squaring for Ben Lederman whose shot was turned for a corner by Petah Tikva’s keeper Amit Mashiah. From the resulting corner Maccabi took the lead as Raz Shlomo rose above Petah Tikva’s defense to head in Itamar Noy’s cross. In the 13th minute Petah Tikva were awarded a penalty after Lederman was judged to have tripped Shavit Mazal in the box before VAR called referee Idan Leiba to the screen to review his initial decision. Yonatan Cohen stepped up, sent Roi Mishpati the wrong way and leveled the score on 15. A minute later at the opposite end Kervin Andrade cushioned the ball for Dor Peretz who shot sailed high over the crossbar. Andrade had another shot within a minute but the Venezuelan midfielder also couldn’t keep his shot down.
Maccabi continued to push forward as a Madmon shot come cross needed a Mashiah hand together with his crossbar to turn the ball for a corner. Shlomo almost repeated his goal from the resulting corner as he headed Noy’s cross but with Mashiah beaten the Maccabi defender was denied by the crossbar. Yonas Melede was booked in the 25th minute for a foul on Petah Tikva’s Matan Gosha before the Maccabi forward blasted a shot over two minutes later. Maccabi enjoyed most of the possession but didn’t put Mashiah under any serious threat. In the 44th minute Lederman tried another left foot drive that narrowly cleared the crossbar.
Second half
With no changes to either side at the restart Maccabi began the second half where they left off – pressing forward to and score. Two minutes after the restart a Madmon toe poke was blocked for a corner which was cleared by Petah Tikva’s defense. Mishpati was called into action at 55 as he was at full stretch to keep out a Noam Cohen’s shot from inside the area.
A minute later Maccabi’s defense was exposed to a Petah Tikva counterattack but Yonatan Cohen’s square ball rolled across the face of goal. Shavit Mazal blasted a shot which missed the target while at the opposite end Andrade waisted an Itai Ben Hamo pinpoint cross as he sent his volley high over the crossbar. Kenny Miller reacted with a double substitution on the hour mark as Lederman and Malede bowed and were replaced by Ido Shahar and Emir Sahiti. Maccabi responded almost instantly as Madmon won possession in the middle of the park and released Peretz who finished clinically to restore the lead and take his tally to 19 league goals. In the 68th Peretz received a standing ovation as he came off and was replaced by Krsitijan Belic while Miller introduced two more substitutes as Roy Revivo and Osher Davida replaced Noam Ben Harosh and Andrade on 75.
In the 85th minute the hosts were back on level terms as the ball fell to Mamady Diarra in the box before the Petah Tikva substitute beat Mishpati to make it 2-2. Inside added time Madmon rifled a volley over the crossbar before Mishpati pulled a spectacular save to keep out an Orel Baye dangerous effort which was making its way into the top corner.
