Preview
Maccabi returned to Bloomfield stadium for the WINNER League MD15 early kickoff match against Maccabi Petah Tikva aiming to build on the victory over Hapoel Jerusalem. Zarko Lazetic’s side that currently have 30 points and are three adrift of leaders Hapoel Be’ersheva will be seeking their 10th victory of the campaign. Maccabi’s Serbian Head Coach made several changes from the side that won 3-2 at Teddy stadium with Tyrese Asante and Roy Revivo returning to the right-back and left-back positions. Stav Lemkin and Nemanja Stojic lined-up as the two central defenders to complete Maccabi’s back-four in front of goalkeeper Roi Mishpati. Joris van Overeem who scored his second goal for Maccabi in Jerusalem kept his place as the anchorman right behind Gabi Kanichowsky and Dor Peretz who led the team out with the captain’s armband. Osher Davida and Weslley Patati supplied the width in Lazetic’s formation while Dor Turgeman led the line aiming to add to his tally of 5 league goals and nine in all competitions.
Ofek Melika returned to the squad for the first time since suffering an ankle injury in training as the young keeper was named amongst the substitutes. Alongside Melika, Lazetic, named Idan Nachmias, Eran Zahavi, Raz Shlomo, Elad Madmon, Henry Addo, Ofir Davidzada, Issouf Sissokho and Ido Shahar.
Prior to kickoff Maccabi held a ceremony marking the contribution of Eyal Golasa to the club. Two more ceremonies were held in memory of former legendary Masseur Itzik Kameri who died at the age of 90, and former Maccabi Petah Tikva and Israel’s young national teams coach Moshe Meiri, the father of Maccabi’s board member Moran Meiri.
First Half
In what seemed to be the first attack of the game in the 5th minute, Petah Tikva found themselves in front thanks to a goal by Vitaly Demascan who fired home Niv Yehoshua’s cross. Maccabi came close to level the score on 13 as an Osher Davida cross fell to Weslley Patati who failed to connect before Roy Revivo flashed a right-foot volley wide of the target.
Petah Tikva silenced Bloomfield stadium as the visitors doubled their lead after Damascan was given the time and space to send a powerful low drive that beat Mishpati from the edge of the area. In the 40th minute Maccabi’s claims for a penalty were waived by referee Ohad Asulin despite the fact a defender clearly pushed Dor Turgeman inside the area. Revivo reached the cross and headed straight at Petah Tikva’s keeper Marko Wolf. On the stroke of halftime Revivo was involved in then goal which cut the deficit and gave Maccabi a new lifeline. The left back carved Petah Tikva’s defense open with a through ball to release Gabi Kanichowsky. The diminutive midfielder sent a square ball into the path of Dor Peretz who slid in at the far post to edge the ball home and make it 2-1.
Second Half
With no changes after the interval, Maccabi emerged for the second half determined to grab an equalizer. Maccabi were back on level terms right on the hour mark as Patati scored directly from a corner and set Bloomfield alight. Three minutes later the comeback was complete as the 20,026 fans at Bloomfield who hardly recovered from the equalizer to celebrate the third. Kanichowsky sent a corner into the box before Peretz met the cross with a powerful header to score his second of the match and set the score on 3-2.
Minutes later Davida had the ball in the back of the Petah Tikva net once again, but the goal was disallowed for offside. Lazetic made a double substitution on 69 as Tyrese Asante and Dor Turgeman were replaced by Raz Shlomo and Eran Zahavi.
In the 86th minute Peretz bowed out to a standing ovation as he was replaced by Ido Shahar for the closing stages. Idan Nachmias replaced Stav Lemkin inside injury time as Lazetic made his fifth and final change. Joris van Overeem sent a Davida square ball over the crossbar deep inside injury time before Asulin blew the final whistle to end the contest. Attention will now turn for the league to the Toto Cup Final as Maccabi face Maccabi Haifa in Netanya on Wednesday for a match which will decide the fate of the second title this season.
