The 24-year-old midfielder who joined Maccabi in the summer from Hapoel Haifa, played a key role in inflicting Maccabi Haifa a second defeat in 10 days. Noy, who spent two seasons at Sammy Ofer, stepped into the shoes of suspended captain Dor Peretz, helped Maccabi collect three points but sets his sights on Tuesday’s clash against Be’ersheva: “We need to win there as well, and only then can we talk further. I think we worked very well as a team. We stuck to our way and did exactly what we needed to do. We followed the game plan, remained very focused, and everyone was committed together to achieve the goal.”
On winning without captain Dor Peretz: “Dor is a very important player, our captain, and he doesn’t need many words. But we have a very talented group here. We’re in a good process, and I feel we are improving from game to game. This was a significant step to continue that process and to arrive with confidence for the match against Be’ersheva.”
Responding to the suggestion that the first half was the team’s best of the season, Noy said: “Thank you for the compliments. As I said, we’re going through a process, and I’m glad it looks that way from the outside. We did what was required, and now we move on to the next match. It’s always enjoyable to come to Sammy Ofer, the atmosphere is amazing, and it’s great to win here. Being at Maccabi Tel Aviv is a completely different experience, to win here with Maccabi in such a big match is a great feeling, and I’m very happy about it.”
On the improvement since the defeat to Be’ersheva, Noy added: “We look and feel good. We’re trying to take it game by game. We haven’t beaten Be’ersheva yet this season, and we’re coming into Tuesday’s match with a lot of energy and a desire to show that we are a strong team that belongs at the very top. The burden of proof is on us. Today’s win gave us a lot of confidence and showed good football, now we need to bring that into the next game.”
