Maccabi Tel Aviv returned to Bloomfield stadium for the ONE ZERO League MD26 match against Hapoel Haifa, a match which will end the regular season before the Playoff gets underway.
Having secured top spot before the order of the Playoff fixtures is determined, Maccabi, will aim at least to hold onto the five point lead they have over second place Maccabi Haifa before hosting them on MD28.
Three days after the majority of his players featured for 120 minutes against Olympiacos in Serbia, Robbie Keane made several changes to his starting line up. Roi Mishpati and Enric Saborit kept their places in goal and center-back respectively and were the only two of Maccabi’s back-line to start in both matches. Matan Baltaxa partnered Saborit at the heart of defense with Avishay Cohen and Ofir Davidzada completing Maccabi’s back-four as the right and left full-backs respectively. Eden Karzev started at the anchorman role and he was accompanied by Eyal Golasa and Dor Peretz in the midfield engine room. Felicio Milson recovered from the knock that forced him to limp out of the game against Olympiacos to be named by Keane on one wing. Dan Biton, who replaced the Angolan winger in Backa Topola, started on the opposite right flank as the duo were tasked at supplying the width to Keane’s formation. Eran Zahavi led the attack as the veteran striker who scored 13 goals in Europe this season now returns to focus his attention on the domestic league where he scored 12 so far.
On the bench Keane named Daniel Tenenbaum, Roy Revivo, Idan Nachmias, Dor Turgeman, Jori van Overeem, Yonas Malede, Gabi Kanichowsky,Ido Shahar and Osher Davida.
First Half
Maccabi began the match on the front foot and created the first chance to score as early as the fourth minute. Felicio Milson charged down the left and shrugged off his defender before cutting the ball back for Dor Peretz whose effort was saved by Yoav Gerafi. At the opposite end Haifa’s Itamar Noy then Tomer Yosefi tried their luck from outside the box, but on both occasions, the ball flashed outside of Roi Mishpati’s post. Ofir Davidzada, starting at left back drove forward in the 8th minute before sending a dangerous square ball which was cleared by a Haifa defender before it could reach Eran Zahavi.
In the 11th minute and against the run of play the visitors were awarded a penalty after Filipe Santos broke into the box and flicked the ball onto Avishay Cohen’s hand. Referee Gal Leibovic pointed at the spot before Yosefi slotted home to give the visitors a 1-0 lead.
In the 18th minute Eden Karzev was teed up by Davidzada on the edge of the box before drilling a low powerful drive that forced Gerafi to stretch himself and claw the ball out for a corner. Matan required medical attention as he suffered a head injury during his attempt to head the resulting corner.
In the 26th minute Milson’s quick first step took him past Noam Ben Harush before the Hapoel Haifa full-back pulled the Angolan winger down in the box. Leibovic didn’t hesitate once again asbhe awarded Maccabi a penalty which Zahavi blasted home past Gerafi to restore parity with his 13th league goal.
Three minutes after the half hour mark Dor Peretz Peretz drilled a powerful right foot dipping shot that Gerafi managed to get a hand to and punch away. Milson had another claim for a penalty waived by the referee after he was brought down by Ben Harush. Two minutes later his trickery got the majority of Bloomfield off their seats chanting the name of the Angolan wizard who toyed with the opponents defense.
Maccabi kept dominating as Karzev came close with a powerful shot which Gerafi could only turn above his crossbar for a corner. Baltaxa rose high to head the resulting corner which bounced off a defender as Maccabi tried to a lead before the break.
Inside injury time the comeback was complete as Milson slipped the ball to Peretz who carved Haifa’s defence open to feed Zahavi. The 36-year-old who found himself with only Gerafi to beat blasted in his second on the night to give Maccabi a 2-1 lead at the break.
Second Half
While Robbie Keane made no changes at the restart, his Haifa counterpart Roni Levy made a double change as Dor Malul and Bar Lin replaced Naor Sabbag and Itay Buganim.
In the 57th minute, Bar Lin, who is on loan at Haifa cut inside on his left foot shot that struck the outside of the post. Within a minute a Haifa counter attack saw Lin tap the ball home from close range. But the visitors’ celebrations were shortlived as VAR spotted a foul on Eyal Golasa in the build up for the goal and Leibovic who was called to view the incident cancelled the goal. Keane reacted with a double substitution as Golasa and Biton bowed out and were replaced by Gabi Kanichowsky and Osher Davida on 62.
Keane made his third substitution in the 69th minute as Ido Shahar replaced Avishay Cohen at right back. In the 86th minute Maccabi’s victory was secured as three of the subs combined for Maccabi’s third goal. Shahar began the attack down the right and released Davida whose square ball was directed at Turgeman before Peretz pounced on the rebound to slot in the third goal.
