Preview
Maccabi arrived at the ‘Green’ stadium in Nof HaGalil for the MD3 league match against Ironi Tiberias aiming to maintain their 100% record this season against the only club they failed to beat last season. Having played only one match in the league so far, Zarko Lazetic’s side that will play their rescheduled MD1 fixture against Hapoel Petah Tikva on Tuesday, will aim to emulate the form that saw them beat Maccabi Netanya 4-0 before the international break.
Tiberias that suffered a 7-0 battering away to Hapoel Be’ersheva will try and bounce back by replicating the match against Maccabi in the 2024/25 campaign that saw them salvage a 2-2 draw at Green.
Maccabi’s two new signings Kervin Adrade and Helio Varela were named in the squad for the first time as the 20-year-old Venezuelan started on the wing while the Cape Verde 23-year-old was named amongst the substitutes.
Lazetic made three changes to his starting line up from the side that beat Netanya at Bloomfield as Ali Camara partnered Raz Shlomo as the two central defenders in-front of goalkeeper Roi Mishpati. Tyrese Asante on the right and Roy Revivo on the left completed Maccabi’s defensive line. With Issouf Sissokho nursing an injury, Kristijan Belic was handed his debut league start while Ido Shahar partnered the Serbian in the midfield engine room. Dor Peretz led the team out wearing the captain’s armband as the skipper who scored a brace against Netanya and another brace for Israel against Italy – will try continuing his good form. Kervin Andrade was handed his first outing as the Venezuelan winger made his debut appearance for Maccabi on one wing with Sagiv Jehezkel on the opposite flank. Upfront, Ion Nicolaescu who opened his account against Netanya continued to spearhead Maccabi’s attack as the Moldovan striker will try to increase his goal tally.
On the bench, alongside goalkeeper Ofek Melika, Lazetic named: Heitor, Denny Gropper, Elad Madmon, Noam Ben Harush, Ben Lederman, Helio Varela, Itamar Noy and Osher Davida wall waiting for their chance to make an impact.
First Half
Maccabi enjoyed the support of around 4000 fans who filled three quarters of the ‘Green’ stadium. Seconds after the kickoff the match was stopped by referee Orel Grinfeeld as a barrage of yellow and blue confetti stripes were thrown by Maccabi fans onto the pitch covering Roi Mishpati’s goal. When play was resumed, it didn’t take the hosts long to silence the travelling fans as Tiberias broke the deadlock. Guy Hadida’s free kick caught Maccabi’s defense flat allowing Stanislav Bilenkyi to find a gap between Ali Camara and Raz Shlomo before his shot deflected off Roy Revivo to beat Mishpati.
Ion Nicolaescu headed a Tyrese Sante cross wide of the top corner before Ido Shahar was booked by Grinfeeld for a mistimed tackle on Muhammed Ussman. In the 22nd minute Kervin Andrade showed some of the skills he has in his toolbox as he blasted a free kick from 25 meters over the crossbar. Sagiv Jehezkel tried his luck with a left foot shot from the edge of the area on 25 which was easily collected by the Tiberias keeper. In the 29th minute Jehezkel turned provider as he curled a pinpoint cross into the box where Ido Shahar timed his run to flick the ball in with his head and restore parity.
Three minutes after the half hour mark Andrade picked the ball outside the middle of the area and burst in past four defenders. The diminutive Venezuelan winger sent a cross which struck the arm of a Tiberias defender with no response from Grinfeeld and his assistant. After Grinfeeld was called to the screen by the VAR he reversed the initial decision awarding Maccabi a spot kick. Jehezkel stepped up, kept his calm, sent Rogerio the wrong way to complete the comeback and give Maccabi a 2-1 lead on 36.
In the 40th minute Grinfeeld required the assistance of the VAR once again after Shlomo’s through ball carved Tiberias’ defense open to release Nicolaescu through. The Moldovan striker raced into the box and was brought down by Rogerio who charged off his line. The referee assistant raised his flag for offside, but Grinfeeld was called to the screen once again as the initial decision was overturned and Maccabi were awarded a penalty. This time it was Nicolaescu who stepped up, but Rogerio saved the initial spot kick before Nicolaescu slotted in the rebound to give Maccabi a 3-1 lead. For the delay caused by the fans and the time spent for the VAR reviews, saw an extra ordinary 12 minutes added by Grinfeeld to the first half.
Second Half
In what seemed like a carbon copy of the first half Maccabi were given a penalty following the intervention of VAR. Minutes after he was clearly charged down by an opponent without a response from the referee, Dor Peretz was brought down in the area by a defender. Grinfeeld waved play on and while the incident was reviewed, booked Peretz for dissent. Grinfeeld was then called to the screen for the third time and was forced to change his initial decision and award Maccabi a third penalty which Peretz drilled in for Maccabi’s fourth. Three minutes after the hour mark Lazetic made a double substitution as he introduced Osher Davida and Elad Madmon for Jehezkel and Nicolaescu.
Madmon had a shot blocked on 73 before his second effort crept wide of the post. Lazetic made three substitutions as Kristijan Belic, Shahar and Peretz bowed out to a standing ovation and were replaced on 74 by Itamar Noy, Ben Lederman and Helio Varela for his debut appearance. Shortly after, Rogerio, pulled a stunning save as he clawed off his goal line a close range Madmon header in the 79th minute before punching away a Varela drive two minutes later.
In the 88th minute Davida had a shot deflected for a corner from which Maccabi scored their fifth on the night. Andrade’s quick cross into the box was bundled in by Ali Camara but VAR intervened again, and the goal was scratched off for an alleged handball.
Maccabi will now have a couple of days to recover before facing Hapoel Petah Tikva on Tuesday.
