Preview
Forty-eight days since the 3-2 victory over Ashdod on MD24 which was the last home league match, and a week after returning to league action with a 4-1 victory away to Hapoel Haifa – Maccabi returned to Bloomfield stadium. Ronny Deila’s side that are currently third in the table with 49 points, host leaders Hapoel Be’ersheva for MD26 of the WINNER League which will conclude the regular season. Deila will seek to extend the 5-match unbeaten run since he took charge but also to beat Be’ersheva for the first time this season and cut the seven point gap from the top on the eve of the Playoff.
Deila kept an almost unchanged starting line-up from the side that won at Haifa with the exception of Heitor dis Santos who replaced Ali Camara at the heart of defense. The 25-year-old Brazilian teamed up with Tyrese Asante as the two central defenders in front of goalkeeper Ofek Melika. Roy Revivo, who added another assist to his name at Haifa to take his tally to 11 in all competitions started at left back. Noam Ben Harush completed Maccabi’s back-four on the opposite side. In midfield, Deila, who is still missing injured duo Kristijan Belic and Issouf Sissokho stuck with the same trio that dominated the match at Haifa. Itamar Noy continued in te anchorman role just behind Maccabi’s two leading goal-scorers Dor Peretz (13) and Ido Shahar (14). Helio Varela who scored his 4th goal at Haifa and Osher Davida who bagged his 6th were named by Deila on both flanks. Saied Abu Farchi who scored 5 goals in the league and 9 in all competitions this season led the line upfront aiming to reach double figures in his first season with the senior side.
On the bench, Deila received a boost following the return of Emir Sahiti, as the Kosovar winger was named among the substitutes together with: Roi Mishpati, Ali Camara, Sagiv Jehezkel, Raz Shlomo, Yonas Malede, Elad Madmon, Ben Lederman and Lotem Asres.
First Half
The match began with high tempo from both sides who wanted to make an early impact. Roy Revivo came close to draw fiest blood in the sixth minute following a cut back by Helio Varela. Revivo unleaded a powerful left foot drive that forces Be’ersheva’a keeper Niv Eliasi to stretch himself and palm the ball away. Two minutes later Be’ersheva struggled to clear the danger as the ball fell to Osher Davida whose volley cleared the crossbar. Itamar Noy was the first player to go into the referee’s book for a professional foul on Kings Kangwa which stopped a Be’ersheva counter attack. Kangwa came close in the 21st minute as he latched on a loose ball and blasted a low powerful drive which narrowly missed the target.
Be’ersheva began to dominate pressing Maccabi in their own half as the visitors took the lead in the 28th minute. Mohamad Abu Rumi curled a cross into the box before Eliel Peretz nodded past Ofek Melika from close range.Two minutes after the half hour mark Abu Rumi tried catching Melika off guard with a powerful shot that Maccabi’s keeper parried away. Revivo was booked in the 36th minute after he eas judged to have fouled Abu Rumi.
In the 42nd minute Saied Abu Farchi went in for a tackle on Lucas Ventura which led to Gal Leibovic show him the red card. VAR intervened and called Leibovic to the screen before changing the initial decision and replacing the red with a yellow. The booking, Abu Farchi’s fifth prevented him from heading for an early shower but will sideline him from Wednesday’s State Cup Semi Final.
Second Half
The second half began almost exactly as the first one ended with Kangawa almost doubling their lead. Kangwa stripped Noam Ben Harush of the ball on the halfway line and charged forward but Melika a stuning save to keep Maccabi alive before Igor Zlatanovic blasted the rebound over. In the 53rd minute a Heitor shot deflected off the hand of Ventura before VAR intervened and called Leibovic to the screen. Maccabi were awarded a penalty which Abu Farchi blasted home to level the score. But Be’ersheva responded almost instantly to restore their lead right from the kickoff after Kangwa charged through the middle to end a solo effort with a goal.
Deila made a double substitution in the 63rd minute as Sagiv Jehezkel and Emir Sahiti replaced Ben Harush and Davida. Deila made another double substitution on 77 as Noy and Varela bowed out and were replaced by Elad Madmon and Yonas Malede. Ali Camara replaced Heitor in the 80th minute as Deila made his fifth and final change for the closing stages.
Shortly after the 4th official raced his sign for eight minutes of added time, Dor Peretz had a golf volley saved by Eliasi from a corner. Be’ersheva blocked Maccabi’s attempt before Kangwa charged forward for a counter attack and this time lifted the ball over Melika to make it 3-1. Deep inside injury time Madmon tried a solo run into the box but his effort was blocked for a corner. The final whistle confirmed that was not going to be Maccabi’s night as attention now turns to the Cup
