Maccabi Tel Aviv defeated Kiryat Shemona 2:1 and went into the break with a win and a 7 point first place lead over Bnei Yehuda and Hapoel Hadera. Yoel Abuhatzeira scored for the host’s in the 7’ to give Kiryat Shemona a 1:0 lead but Atzily’s free kick equalizer sent the side’s into half-time even at 1:1. However, Atzilly converted a 63’ Kiryat Shemona handball in the box fro a 2:1 victory.
Head Coach Vladimir Ivic’s Starting XI included keeper Predrag Rajkovic, Enric Saborit, Shahar Piven, Sheran Yeini (C), Maor Kandil, Dor Peretz, Dan Glazer, Dor Micha, Avi Rikan, Omer Atzily, Itay Shechter.
Available on the bench were keeper Haviv Ohayon, Jair Amador, Eli Dasa, Ruslan Barsky, Chico Ofoedu, Aaron Schoenfeld and Eliran Atar.
First Half
Maccabi began the match pressing Kiryat Shemona and in the 1’ Atzily had a chance but missed the goal while three minutes later Shechter had an opportunity from 5 meters out thanks to a pass by Atzily but came up short as the keeper made the save. Saborit had a bicycle kick attempt on a rebound soon thereafter but his ball went over the bar.
However, after all of the Maccabi pressure, Kiryat Shemona took a 1:0 lead in the 7’ as Yoel Abuhatzeira scored off a counter thanks to Valon Ahmedi cross into the box. In the 15’ Maccabi came close to drawing even when Rikan hit the post and Atzily’s rebound chance from 5 meters out was just deflected by a defender and sent out for a corner.
Finally in the 38’ the Yellow & Blue pressure paid off as Atzily put home a 17 meter free kick that went off the right post and into the Kiryat Shemona goal as the side’s went into the break knotted up at 1:1.
Second Half
In the 51’ Ivic made his first substitute as Eli Dasa came on for Kandil who sported a yellow card that he had been issued late in the first half while Aaron Schoenfeld entered the contest in the 63’ in favor of Rikan.
Just after Schoenfeld was introduced, Eden Shamir committed a hand ball off a Peretz header and Atzily converted the penalty kick for Maccabi from 11 meters to give the Yellow & Blue a 2:1 lead. The goal was #7’s fifth league marker of the season.
Shechter had a chance to add to the lead in get 83’ as did Schoenfeld in the 84’ and Peretz in the 88’ but they couldn’t find the back of the goal as Maccabi took the 2:1 win and the three points home back to Tel Aviv.
