Despite a 3-1 defeat to Beitar Jerusalem at Teddy which kept Maccabi three points behind leaders Hapoel Be’ersheva, Osher Davida who scored Maccabi’s goal remained upbeat. “This title race is far from over. I am convinced it still depends on us”.

“It is annoying to lose such a game” the 24-year-old forward said after the match at Teddy. “We were close to take the lead on several occasions in the first half and even in the second half we felt we could get back at 2-1 but in the end we lost momentum and they scored the third. We move on from here.”

On the fact Maccabi didn’t beat Beitar on three attempts, Davida said: “We come and play like in every game as even our previous visit here we were the better side so I don’t know how we lost then and how we did so now but this is football.”

Despite trailing the leaders by 3 points Davida remained confident: “Be’ersheva still have to come to Bloomfield, we can beat them 3-0 and win the title”.

Preview

Maccabi arrived at Teddy stadium for the MD31 WINNER League match against fourth placed Beitar Jerusalem. Zarko Lazetic whose side were held to a 1-1 draw by Maccabi Haifa would like to get back to winning ways, beat Beitar for the first time this season and cancel the three-point- gap from the leaders.

Lazetic made two changes from last week’s draw at Bloomfield as Nemanja Stojic who completed his one match touchline ban returned to partner Raz Shlomo at the heart of defense. Tyrese Asante on the right and Roy Revivo on the left completed Maccabi’s back four. Lazetic made no changes to his engine room as Issouf Sissokho, Joris van Overeem and Dor Peretz formed Maccabi’s midfield trio. Weslley Patati on one wing and Dor Turgeman on the opposite flank supplied the width to Maccabi’s formation in support of Eran Zahavi who led the line and the team out.

On the bench Lazetic named goalkeeper Roi Mishpati, Stav Lemkin, Idan Nachmias, Gabi Kanichowsky, Henry Addo, Ophir Davidzada, Hisham Layous, Ido Shahar and Osher Davida.

First Half

A sea of Yellow and Black with a touch of Blue from the visiting section but mostly a deafening wall of noise created by a sell-out Teddy stadium welcomed both sets of players onto the pitch. A minute into the game Maccabi’s keeper Simon Sluga was drawn into the action as he punched away a Timothy Muzie shot. Beitar’s keeper Miguel Silva was twice tested by Weslley Patati and on both occasions equaled the Brazilian winger. In the 15th minute Jean Marcelin stepped on Patati’s foot inside the box without a response from referee Yigal Frid. But VAR intervened, called the referee to the screen and Maccabi were awarded a penalty. Eran Zahavi stepped up and blasted the spot kick, but Beitar’s Portuguese keeper dived to his right and saved.

Six minutes after the half hour mark the ball fell to Zahavi on the edge of box but his shot was turned by Silva over the crossbar. A minute later at the opposite end a Beitar counterattack resulted with Omer Atzili shrugging of Tyrese Asante’s attempt of a tackle before firing a shot which rattled Sluga’s crossbar. Just as the fourth official signaled for 2 minutes of added time Gil Cohen released Silva Kangai down the right. The Beitar forward cut inside onto his left but saw his shot blocked by Maccabi’s defense.

Second Half

With no changes to either side at the break both teams returned for the second half which began just like the first one. Mayron George blasted a shot which struck the side netting before Kangai fired over. In the 51st minute Revivo drilled in a ball from Dor Peretz who continued with a flick towards goal, but Silva pulled a reflex save to claw the ball out and deny Maccabi the opener. Two minutes later however Teddy erupted as a Raz Shlomo’s attempt to head the ball back to Sluga fell to George who blasted a low drive to put Beitar in front.

The Beitar strike hobbled off as he injured himself during the goal celebration making way for Patrick Twumasi. Four minutes after the hour mark Sluga denied Beitar from doubling their lead as he first made a save from Atzili before diving at the feet of the winger who was deep inside his area. Maccabi’s defense struggled to clear the corner as Sissokho’s attempt of a clearance reached Jean Marcelin. The tall defender left Maccabi’s defense behind him as he skipped past Revivo to break into the area before firing low into the net to double Beitar’s lead. Zarko Lazetic reacted with a double substitution as Sissokho and Zahavi bowed out and were replaced by Gabi Kanichowsky and Osher Davida.

In the 79th minute Lazetic made a third change as Henry Addo came on for Patati who had a quiet game by his own high standards. Maccabi cut the deficit in the 83^rd minute as a Davida cross from the right which was aiming to pick Peretz’s darting run into the box bounced in front of Silva and ended up in the bottom corner to make it 2-1. Ido Shahar replaced Joris van Overeem on 88 as the diminutive midfielder was introduced to try and help Maccabi score an equalizer. But inside injury time Yarin Levi blasted a powerful drive into the top corner that sealed Beitar’s victory and rounded up a miserable night overall.

Raz Shlomo pulled the save of the season as a goalmouth clearance from a Din David shot deep into the second half helped Maccabi to a 1-1 draw against Maccabi Haifa.

The 25-year-old Israeli international who scored a single league goal was seen celebrating after hooking the ball which was making its way in and denied Maccabi a defeat. “The clearance from Din David’s shot? It is the same feeling as Eran (Zahavi) and Dor (Turgeman) score a goal” he said before explaining. “I saw Din stop the ball with his first touch and fortunately he didn’t shoot it first time, so I simply did what I was supposed to do.”

After Maccabi dropped two points and Hapoel Be’ersheva beat next week’s opponents, Beitar Jerusalem, Zarko Lazetic’s side conceded top spot and dropped to second on goal difference. With six matches left to play, Shlomo remained confident: “There is still a long way to go before the championship is decided, we have a very tough Playoff, and this season has proven that teams will drop points so it will go to the wire. Be’ersheva are an excellent side especially at home which was proven once again as they beat a very good side in Beitar, so we will have to win points in every game we have. We also have a match left against Be’ersheva here at Bloomfield and I have no doubt that it will be tough all the way to the end.”

On conceding top spot and dropping to second, Shlomo added: “As far as I am concerned, I wouldn’t mind being in the second place for the rest of the season, as long as we will finish top on the final day. It has no importance whatsoever at this stage. We arrive at every match in this Playoff ready to win the win the points, because the matches are tough. We will try collect the points against Beitar at Teddy at a match which will be far from easy but still we will have to do what we know.”

Shlomo, who lost his place earlier this season but returned to the heart of defense and is one match away from playing his 40th match in all competitions this season, reflected: “I felt that I wasn’t playing my best football and someone else was given a chance. When things work out there is no reason to change” he added on Maccabi’s recent run of six unbeaten matches: “This may have happened in the past month so maybe I deserved to sit out for a month and in the end I think it only served me well.”

Eran Zahavi scored his 7th league goal of the season but that wasn’t to help Maccabi beat Maccabi Haifa as the match at Bloomfield stadium ended in a 1-1 draw. 28,429 Maccabi fans packed Bloomfield as Zahavi paid tribute after the match: “I must compliment the fans who filled the stadium and created and amazing atmosphere” Zahavi said. “Teams will drop points in the Playoff as all the matches are really tough. We deserved to win yet we didn’t do it” before explaining: “We deserved it for the way in which we played and for the fans so at least we could be optimistic with our form.” The draw saw Maccabi concede top spot to Hapoel Be’ersheva on goal difference still left the veteran skipper adamant: With six matches still left to play, Zahavi insisted: “The journey is still long as we have 6 matches to play and every one of them is a cup final. I believe that in the end we will do what we need to do.”

On the goal he scored, his 202nd in Maccabi’s colors, Zahavi said: “Every goal I score excites me so after a complex spell I had I am just delighted to score – the only shame is that it didn’t give us 3 points like last week. I believe in the team and believe in us. I take the positive things from tonight and the less positive ones I put aside.”

Zahavi who made his 38th appearance this season in all competitions, added: “I am delighted to be on the pitch for as long as I can. We played against a tough opponent who gave us a fight as matches like this are never easy and are very tough. We will try and do our jobs and sum things up at the end of the season.”

On his collaboration with Dor Turgeman upfront, Zahavi added: “We did that on several occasions and we have a good partnership together which we also showed last season. The coach will decide when that will happen. It could have been more successful if we would have scored today but we didn’t and we will move forward”