Maccabi Tel Aviv chalked up an important 3-1 practice match win over Hapoel Ra’anana at Kiryat Shalom in searing conditions on Saturday and gave themselves a confidence boost after a layoff of over six weeks as they prepare for the restart of the Premier League at the end of the month.
Both teams used 12 substitutes each and none of the players played for the entire 90 minutes, allowing them plenty of recovery time as the teams gear up for the closing phase of the season.
Itay Shechter put Maccabi ahead in the seventh minute after pouncing on a rebounding ball after Ra’anana goalkeeper Niv Antman kept out a shot by Andre Geraldes.
The visitors’ Or Dasa levelled the scores in the 35th minute but Shechter added his second goal in the 41st minute after a series of passes saw Avi Rikan put him clear in front of goal and the Maccabi striker was left to slot home.
Nick Blackman, who substituted Shechter in the second half, sealed the result in the 79th minute with a left-footed strike after a good assist by substitute Parfait Guiagon, the under-19 team’s Ivory Coast striker.
Maccabi’s first match in the playoff phase of the Premier League will be against Hapoel Haifa at home on May 30. With all 26 matches in the first two phases of the league completed, Maccabi lead the table with 64 points, six ahead of second-placed Maccabi Haifa, who appear to be their only realistic title challengers. Beitar Jerusalem are third in the standings on 49 points.
Ra’anana are playing in the lower-section playoffs and will not face Maccabi again this season.
Starting lineups:
Maccabi Tel Aviv: Daniel Tenenbaum (Andreas Gianniotis, 46), Andre Geraldes (Itay Ben Hemo, 62), Jair Amador (Sheran Yeini, 46), Shahar Piven (Omer Itzhak, 75), Enric Saborit (Ophir Davidzada, 46), Dan Glazer (Dor Peretz, 46), Avi Rikan (Ruslan Barsky, 46), Dor Micha (Eyal Golasa, 46, Parfait Guiagon, 75), Omer Atzili (Matan Hozez, 46), Yonatan Cohen (Eylon Almog, 46), Itay Shechter (Nick Blackman, 46).
Hapoel Ra’anana: Niv Antman (Assaf Tzur, 46), Daryl Lahman (Adi Nimni, 46), Ido Levy (David Mattheus, 46), Amit Cohen (Shon Klimkin, 46), Yarden Cohen (Roey Herman, 46), Itay Katzav (Ben Binyamin, 46), Snir Shuker (Ben Savir, 46), Diwan Naeh (Ido Ben Yosef, 46, Golan Benny 68), Roey Levy (Lior Berkovitz, 46), Or Dasa (Eugene Ansa, 46), Idan Shemesh (Vitali Ganon, 46).
