Preview:
Maccabi arrived at Teddy stadium for the MD7 WINNER League home match against Maccabi Haifa which was relocated from Bloomfield stadium that has a 2000 capacity limit due to Home Front Command restrictions. The first top of the table clash of the 2024/25 season, saw Maccabi go into the match with a three-point-lead over Haifa that has a game in hand against Beitar Jerusalem which will be played on Tuesday.
Zarko Lazetic’s side have 16 points after winning 5 and drawing 1 while Haifa are on 13 with 4 victories and a draw from 5 matches.
Injuries to several players still denied Lazetic from having a full squad at his disposal as Roy Revivo, Ofek Melika and Dor Turgeman were all out injured. The late withdrawal of Hisham Layous from the squad due to illness, added to Lazetic’s list of absentees even further forcing the Serbian coach to more changes. New signing Simon Sluga, who joined the club as cover for the injured Melika, was named in the squad for the first time.
Raz Shlomo recovered from a groin injury that sidelined him during the international break and was named at the heart of defense alongside Nemanja Stojic. The two central defenders lined-up in front of goalkeeper Roi Mishpati who had a point to prove after he wasn;t called up to the Israel national team squad during the last international break. Ofir Davidzada recovered from the muscle injury that has bothered him lately and was back to his left back role while Tyrese Asante completed Maccabi’s back-four on the right. Issouf Sissokho in the anchorman role sat behind Gabi Kanichowsky and Dor Peretz who completed Maccabi’s midfield trio. Osher Davida was named by Lazetic on the right while Henry Addo stepped in at the other flank taking the place of Layous. After successfully scoring a late penalty against Maccabi Netanya, Elad Madmon led the line on his 10th Maccabi appearance and first league start aiming to score his 2nd league goal.
On the bench alongside Sluga, Lazetic, welcomed back Ido Shahar who was back in the side for the first time since suffering a knee injury against Ashdod. Stav Lemkin, Idan Nachmias, Eran Zahavi, Joris van Overeem, Yonas Malede, Wesley Patati and Nir Bitton were the other substitutes on Maccabi’s bench.
First Half
Both teams walked onto the pitch at Teddy and were welcomed by a sea of color and a wall of noise supplied by 19,880 Maccabi fans. Five minutes from the start Dia Saba charged through the middle and was brought down by Madmon who was consequently booked by referee Orel Grinfeld. Saba took the free-kick but his left foot effort which curled past the wall shaved the crossbar.
In the 17th the deadlock was broken in spectacular fashion as Gabi Kanichowsky scored a goal which will compete as one of the goals of the season. Addo charged down the left skipped past Dolev Haziza and sent a square ball which was intercepted by Ali Mohamad. The heavy touch of Haifa’s midfielder allowed Dor Peretz to pounce on the loose ball before he was tripped by Mohamad inside the box. Grinfeld didn’t blow his whistle, but Kanichowsky needed no further invitation as he collected the ball before curling an unstoppable shot which sailed past Keouf into the top corner. Teddy stadium erupted celebrating the wonder-goal but withing four minutes Maccabi’s fans were back on their feet. A well drilled set-piece saw Ofir Davidzada send a dangerous cross from the left into the path of Addo who ghosted through Haifa’s defense. The Ghanian’s powerful diving header was clawed off the line by a Keouf reflex save before Madmon pounced on the rebound and swept home his second league goal.
Second Half
While Zarko Lazetic made no changes at the break, his Haifa counterpart, Barak Bachar made two substitutions for the restart introducing Ilay Feingold and Xander Severina for Oleksandr Syrota and Eitan Azulay. Tyrese Asanate who was booked in the closing stages of the first half could have extended Maccabi’s lead in the 49th minute. Raz Shomo’s knockdown reached the Dutch defender who was left unmarked by Haifa’s defenders at the goalmouth. But from almost point-blank range, Asante, somehow managed to head the ball over the crossbar. Addo came close to score on 52 but his right foot shot struck the side netting.
Maccabi kept on pressing for a third as Osher Davida broke from the right and fired a left foot shot from a tight angle. But unlike Kanichowsky’s goal in the first half, the ball sailed agonizingly wide. In the 58th minute Maccabi were awarded a penalty after Peretz was brought down inside the area by Mohamad. This time Grinfeld pointed at the spot before Davida stepped up. Davida sent a low shot to the left of the keeper but Keouf guessed right and saved the penalty to keep Haifa in the game.
Bachar made another double change as Matias Nahurel and Lior Rafaelov came on for Haziza and Vital Nsimba. Mishpati who made a similar save in the first half from Din David was at it again in the second as he kept out Saba’s effort on 65.
Lazetic reacted with a triple substitution in the 71st minute as Joris van Overeem, Ido Shahar and Eran Zahavi replaced Dor Peretz, Addo and Madmon. David had the ball in the back of the net on 75 as he lifted the ball over Mishpati but the goal was disallowed for offside. Haifa continued to look dangerous as a combination of Mishpati and his post denied Rafaelov from cutting the deficit in the 77th minute.
Despite his missed penalty Davida bowed out to a standing ovation as he was replaced by Wesley Patati for the closing stages. Zahavi came close in the 86th minute as he curled a right foot free kick which threatened to go in, but Keouf pulled a stunning save to claw the ball out. Deep inside injury time Stav Lemkin came on for Kanichowsky allowing the diminutive midfielder a standing ovation. The final whistle confirmed Maccabi’s victory as attention will now turn to the EUROPA League ahead of Thursday’s home match in Belgrade against Real Sociedad.
