Previews
Three days after the dramatic 2-2 draw away to Ashdod Maccabi returned to Bloomfield stadium for the MD12 WINNER League home match against Hapoel Haifa.
Four days before Sunday’s top of the table clash against Hapoel Be’ersheva at Turner, and Maccabi’s Head Coach Zarko Lazetic returned to guide the side. Lazetic will seek to record a victory over Hapoel Haifa that are ranked 11th in the table, end Maccabi’s winless run since the 2-0 victory over Bnei Reineh on November 1st and cut the gap at the top to two points.
Lazetic made several changes to the starting line-up from the team that drew at Ashdod. Ofek Melika kept his place in goal Ali Camara returning to the side for the first time since suffering a rib injury during the EUROPA League match at Aston Villa. Camara partnered Heitor dos Santos as the two central defenders in front of Melika. Noam Ben Harush who played the full 90 minutes against Ashdod kept his place at left back while Tyrese Asante completed Maccabi’s defensive line on the right. Issouf Sissokho returned to the side in the anchorman role as he was partnered in the engine room by Ido Shahar who scored his sixth league goal at Ashdod. Kervin Andrade who impressed coming off the bench on Sunday was named at the top of the midfield trio. The Venezuelan scored his debut goal for Maccabi during its’ last outing here at Bloomfield, but will aim for a better outcome as that was a consolation on a miserable 6-2 defeat to Beitar Jerusalem. With Dor Peretz resting on the bench, Sagiv Jehezkel was handed the captain’s armband as the 30-year-old was assigned to one wing. Saied Abu Farchi, the scorer of Maccabi’s dramatic late equalizer against Ashdod was on the opposite flak with Ion Nicolaescu leading the line. On the bench alongside Roy Mishpati who returned from suspension were Roy Revivo, Raz Shlomo, Kristijan Belic, Elad Madmon, Itamar Noy, Itay Ben Hemo, Dor Peretz and Osher Davida.
First Half
Maccabi began the match on the front foot and came close to draw first blood inside the first five minutes. Saied Abu Farchi took the initiative as he tested Niv Antman with a long range powerful drive that was equalled by the Haifa keeper. Abu Farchi again looked lively in the 10th minute as he picked a long diagonal ball from Tyrese Asante and cut into the box skipping past one defender before being stopped by another. Sagiv Jehezkel came close on 13 as Abu Farchi’s cross found him unmarked at the far post but his volley was blocked by Sana Gomes.
The visitors almost took the lead against the run of play as a counter attack down the left caught Maccabi’s defense flat on 21. Regis N’do charged down the right and squared to Rotem Hatuel whose snap shot forced Ofek Melika to a stunning save. Three minutes after the half hour mark Kervin Andrade also tried a long distance effort which bobbled off a defender to almost catch Antman off his line but land on the roof of the net. In the 38th minute Abu Farchi slipped the ball to Ion Nicolaescu who shrugged off his marker and unleashed a fierce low drive which was blocked by Bruno Ramires.
Second half
Lazetic made a triple substitution at the restart as Heitor dos Santos, Issouf Sissokho and Kervin Andrade were replaced by Roy Revivo, Kristijan Belic and Dor Peretz. Noam Ben Harush switched from left to right-back while Asante moved to the heart of defense alongside Camara. Less than a minute after his introduction Revivo cut inside from his left back position and fired a shot with his right that hardly troubled Antman. In the 53rd minute Ido Shahar was cautioned for a mistimed tackle on Yonatan Farber but VAR called referee Gal Levy to the screen and the yellow card was replaced by red leaving Maccabi with 10 men.
Three minutes later and despite the numerical disadvantage the deadlock was finally broken. A Revivo corner was met by an Abu Farchi half volley which beat Antman to put Maccabi infront. Maccabi doubled the score within a couple of minutes as right on the hour mark Peretz began and finished the move. The Maccabi captain won a tackle in the middle of the park and released Nicolaescu who charged forward to break into the box. Just before the Moldovan could pull the trigger, Peretz swept the ball home to score his seventh league goal. This was Nicolaescu’s final contribution as he was replaced a minute later by Osher Davida. Maccabi suffered another blow in the 66th minute as Belic limped off clutching his thigh and was replaced by Itamar Noy.
Maccabi defended bravely as inside injury time Maccabi came close to seal the victory at the end of a counter attack. Peretz burst forward and with only the keeper to beat unselfishly teed up Davida whose effort was cleared off the line.
In addition to being a man down and with both Jehezkel and Abu Farchi still playing despite being injured as no substitutes were left, the visitors took control. In the 84th minute Haifa cut the deficit in controvercial circumstances as the referee didn’t award Maccabi a foul on Davida before Javon East scored at the opposite end to make it 2-1.
