Preview:
Three days after the dramatic draw at home to Hapoel Hadera, Maccabi arrived at Sammy Ofer for the WINNER League MD13 match away to Hapoel Haifa which concludes the first round.
Maccabi’s coach Zarko Lazetic, made five changes to his starting line-up against the side currently ranked 7th in the table and ended a run of three successive defeats with a 2-0 victory over Bnei Sakhnin,
Roi Mishpati kept his place in goal as did Stav Lemkin, Raz Shlomo and Nemanja Stojic with Sagiv Jehezkel the only change in Maccabi’s back-four.
Joris van Overeem returned to the anchorman role with Dor Peretz returning to the side to join Gabi Kanichowsky in Maccabi’s midfield engine room. Weslley Patati who set up one of the goals against Hadera, kept his place on the wing with Osher Davida drafted into the opposite flank. Dor Turgeman, returned to lead the attack after making a substitute appearance against Hadera, aiming to add return to the scoresheet like he did last week against Bnei Reineh.
Alongside goalkeeper Simon Sluga, Lazetic named on the substitutes bench, Roy Revivo, Idan Nachmias, Tyrese Asante, Eran Zahavi, Elad Madmon, Henry Addo, Hisham Layous and Ido Shahar.
First Half
Around 4000 fans travelled to Sammy Ofer and welcomed Maccabi’s players onto the pitch with a loud vocal support rhroughout the opening stages. After a relatively slow start to the game Maccabi had the ball in the back of the net as Weslley Patati flicked the ball home from close range. The goal was disallowed as the referee assistant spotted Patati in an offiside position keeping the result goalless.
Joris van Overeem was shown the yellow card by referee Orel Grinfeld for tugging the shirt of an opponent to stop a counter attack. In the 24th minute nothing could prevent Patati from getting his name on the scoresheet to break the deadlock. Sagiv Jehezkel sent a cross from the left which the Brazilian winger brought the ball down with one spectacular touch before burrying a shot into the bottom far corner. Raz Shlomo also went into the referee’s book shortly before the half hour mark.
Seven minutes later Maccabi came close to double the lead at the end of an outstanding counter attack. Osher Davida released Dor Peretz who slipped the ball to Dor Turgeman before the striker let the ball run between his legs and reach Patati. But Patati who only had the keeper to beat sent a shot with his weaker right foot that rolled wide. Stav Lemkin became the third Maccabi player to be cautioned by Grinfeld before the interval as the defender was shown the yellow card.
Second Half
With no changes to either side at the interval Hapoel Haifa created the first chance to score shortly after the restart. Thiemoko Diarra found himself behind Maccabi’s back-line, but his powerful drive was blocked by Van Overeem who required medical treatment after being winded in the process.
In the 54th minute Diarra came even closer as managed to skip past a mistimed Lemkin tackle to race half the length of the pitch. But this time Roi Mishpati stretched himself to keep out the shot. Four minutes later the hosts were awarded a penalty as Shlomo was judged to have pulled down Guy Melamed inside the area. Grinfeld pointed at the spot before Haifa’s top goalscorer kept his calm and slotted the penalty beyond Mishpati’s reach to level the score.
Lazetic reacted with a double substitution on 65 as Roy Revivo replaced Lemkin with Jehezkel pushing to right back while Hisham Layous came on for Davida. Layous almost made an immediate impact as his cut back on 68 found Turgeman whose attempt to flick the ball was easily collected by Yoav Gerafi. Turgeman tried his luck with a left foot pile driver from the edge of the area in the 70th minute, but Gerafi managed a fingertip save to push the ball over.
Lazetic made two more changes in the 78th minute as Ido Shahar replaced Peretz while Eran Zahavi came on for Turgeman. While Maccabi tried to score it was Liran Serdal who found the net but the Haifa midfielder was caught offisde as the goal was disallowed. Lazetic made his fifth and final substitution as Patati bowed out in the 85th minute and was replaced by Elad Madmon for the closing stages. While Maccabi tried to score it was Liran Serdal who found the net but the Haifa midfielder was caught offisde as the goal was disallowed.
Lazetic made his fifth and final substitution as Patati bowed out in the 85th minute and was replaced by Elad Madmon for the closing stages. The fourth off signalled for six minutes of added time with Maccabi pushing men forward in a bid to try and grab a late winner.
