Preview:
Maccabi Tel Aviv returned to Bloomfield on the back of two matches in which they didn’t record a victory or register a goal aiming to return to winning ways against Hapoel Haifa. Kenny Miller’s side that scored 18 and won all of their opening five league matches, were held to goalless draws by Bnei Sakhnin at Bloomfield and away to Beitar Jerusalem. Collecting the three points and putting an end to that two-match barren run, will take Maccabi back to the top of the table ahead of Thursday’s Tel Aviv derby in the Toto Cup Final.
Miller didn’t make too many changes from the side which was held to a goalless draw at Teddy stadium. Ofek Melika who didn’t have too much to do against Beitar kept his place in goal. Ali Camara and Raz Shlomo lined up as the two central defenders in front of the 21-year-old keeper. James Tavernier on the right and Noam Ben Harush on the left completed Maccabi’s back-four that has only conceded six league goals so far. Issouf Sisokho in the anchorman role made his 60th league appearance and 99th for Maccabi in all competitions. On his 200th appearance for the club, Gabi Kanichwsky joined Sissokho in the engine room as the 29-year-old midfielder will seek his 20th league goal. Maccabi’s captain Dor Peretz, is one goal short from 70 league goals and three short of a 100 goals in all competitions.
Helio Varela on one wing and Sagiv Jehezkel on the opposite flank supplied the width to Maccabi’s formation. While upfront, Miller named Elad Madmon in place of Ester Sokler giving the 22-year-old a chance to lead the attack.
On the bench alongside Sokler and goalkeeper Roi Mishpati, Miller named
Dan Glazer, Itamar Noy, Hisham Layous, Ido Shahar, Itai Ben Hamo, Noam Levi and
Osher Davida.
Prior to kickoff the fans paid tribute to Eran Zahavi who played for seven seasons at Maccabi during which he won 10 trophies and scored 205 goals in all competitions. A minute of applaud was also held in memory of former plater Rafi Baranes who featured for Maccabi between 1964-1970 winning 8 trophies and passed away in the summer at the age of 83. The memory of former chairman in the early 90’s Roni Kleiman who passed away at the age of 80 last month.
first half:
Maccabi began the match on the front foot and came close to score three minutes from the start as Dor Peretz and Elad Madmon exchanged passes before the striker fired a shot on target which was palmed away for a corner by Yoav Gerafi.
Peretz sent a half volley in the fifth minute over the crossbar before a Madmon right foot shot from inside the box in the tenth minute also cleared the crossbar.
Maccabi continued to dominate as the deadlock was finally broken in the 15th minute after Gabi Kanichowsky intercepted the ball deep inside Hapoel Haifa’s half and slipped it to Noam Ben Harush. The left back fed Madmon who controlled it with one touch before blasting a left foot dropkick into the roof of the net.
The visitors had the ball in the back of the after 23 minutes as Arial Mendy sent a left foot shot which rattled the crossbar before Alon Turgeman swept in the rebound. But Haifa’s celebrations were shortlived as VAR intervened and spotted an offside before the goal was scratched off to the delight of the majority of fans at Bloomfield stadium.
Eight minutes after the half hour mark Haifa were back on level terms as Turgeman fired a shot which was initially saved by Melika before the ball reached
Mendy who beat Melika with a low drive from a tight angle to level the score.
Inside first-half injury time, James Tavernier played a short corner to Issouf Sissokho, who unleashed a powerful shot that narrowly cleared the crossbar.
Seconds later, Helio Varela burst forward down the left before cutting the ball back for Peretz, who sliced his shot wide of the target. That proved to be the final action of the first half as referee David Fuxman blew his whistle for the interval.
Second half:
The second half began with Sagiv Jehezkel firing a long-range effort that was comfortably collected by Gerafi. At the opposite end, Mendy pounced on a loose ball that Ali Camara didn’t control well and charged forward before being brought down just outside the box by the Guinean central defender, who was consequently booked. Two minutes later, Liran Rotman fired a shot that Melika pushed away to deny the Hapoel Haifa forward. The end to end action continued as Jehezkel broke into the box but saw his powerful low drive strike the base of the post.
Varela fired a dangerous shot which Gerafi pushed for a corner before another goalmouth scramble led to another corner. This time Camara rose high to head in Tavernier’s cross and restore Maccabi’a lead on 55.
Three minutes later Maccabi’s blitz continued as Peretz scored the third. Jehezkel received the ball near the byline and cut it back to Madmon who let it run for the Maccabi captain who swept it home with a clinical finish for his 70th league goal.
Maccabi continued to press while the visitors crumbled on 62 as Issouf Sissokho won possession just inside Haifa’s half and released Madmon who turned provider as he slipped Jehezkel through. The 31 year old who only had Gerafi to beat, couldn’t miss as he fired in the fourth. Miller made a triple substitution as Sissokho, Kanichowsky and Jehezkel all bowed out and were replaced by Dan Glazer, Ido Shahar and Osher Davida.
In the 72nd the Haifaites cut the deficit as a diagonal ball carved Maccabi’s defense open and reached Turgeman who chipped Melika. Miller made another double substitution as Peretz and Madmon bowed out and were replaced by Itamar Noy and Ester Sokler.
Davida was inches away from getting his name on the scoresheet as his 76th minute effort struck the side netting.
In the 81st minute Maccabi scored the fifth as Varela forced a spectacular save from Gerafi before Haifa’s defense failed to clear the danger. Shahar’s attempt to shoot on target reached Camara who deflected the ball home to celebrate an uncharacteristic brace.
Maccabi scored the sixth in the 88th minute as Davida broke down the right and cut the ball for Noy who swept a right foot shot past Gerafi but didn’t celebrate against his former club.
