Bnei Yehuda defeated Maccabi Tel Aviv 1:0 on a 79th minute header by Almog Bozaglo on Matchday Eleven of the Ligat Ha’Al at Haberfeld Stadium in Rishon Le’Zion to capture the three points. The Yellow & Blue will now get ready for the second leg of the Toto Cup Quarterfinals at Kiryat Shemona on Wednesday night as they hold a 3:2 advantage on aggregate from the first leg that was played last Month at the Netanya Stadium.
Prematch
Head Coach Shota Arveladze’s Starting XI included Serbian shot stopper Predrag Rajikovic in goal with a defensive quartet of Eli Dasa, Omri Ben Harush, Eitan Tibi and Tal Ben Haim in front of him. Captain Gal Alberman was the defensive midfielder while Eliel Peretz and Haris Medunjanin started beside him. Providing the attack was a trio of Dor Micha, Sagiv Yehezkel and Vidar Kjartansson.
Available on the bench for the Georgian boss was keeper Barak Levy, Yossi Benayoun, Avi Rikan, Barak Itzhaki, Nosa Igiebor, Egor Filipenka and Eyal Golasa.
First Half
The match got underway with Tibi picking up a 6th minute yellow card while three minutes later Alon Turgeman tested Rajikovic from 17 meters out but the shot stopper made the quick save parrying the ball out for a corner.
In the 14th minute, Kjartansson had a chance in the box but his effort skipped wide right of the goal and in the 21st minute Yehezkel tried his luck from outside of the area but was easily collected by the Bnei Yehuda keeper Emilios Zobas. Three minutes later Dasa’s low screamer went wide right of the goal as the score remained 0:0.
As time wore down, Yehezkel who had been active for the whole half, had a wonderful chance in the box but his opportunity was just tipped away to safety by Zobas.
Second Half
Micha sent the first warning shot of the second half as his chance was scooped up by Zobas as Maccabi looked to get onto the board early on. Dasa had an opportunity on the 58th minute but he missed the mark while in the 62nd minute Nosa Igiebor was introduced in place of Eliel Peretz.
Almog Bozaglo led a Bnei Yehuda attack in the 67th minute but the ball just went by the Maccabi goal and out for a corner and two minutes later Yossi Benayoun replaced Gal Alberman. In the 73rd minute Yehezkel again went for the goal but his chance missed the target.
As the match hit the 75th minute, Maccabi made their third and final substitution of the match inserting striker Barak Itzhaki in favor of Omri Ben Harush. However, it would be Bnei Yehuda who would strike first as Almog Bozaglo headed in the first goal of the match giving the hosts a 1:0 lead in the 79th minute.
Maccabi pressed to find an equalizer but it was not to be as Bnei Yehuda took the victory and the three points. The Yellow & Blue will now prepare for the second leg of Toto Cup Quarterfinal at Kiryat Shemona on Wednesday night as the hold a 3:2 advantage of aggregate following last month’s first leg win at the Netanya Stadium.
