Maccabi arrived at Doha stadium for the MD8 ONE ZERO League encounter away to Bnei Sakhnin aiming to record their fourth successive league win and fifth in all competitions. Robbie Keane’s charges currently lead the table with 16 points from the opening six matches thanks to a superior (17-3) goal tally than the season’s surprise team Maccabi Bnei Reineh who are second but played two more matches.
Bnei Sakhnin are ranked six with nine points from seven matches and are enjoying a decent start to the season having won twice drawn four and lost only one match.
Keane made several changes from the side which beat Hapoel Jerusalem at Teddy last week as Roi Mishpati returned to goal in place of Orlando Mosquerra. Derrick Luckassen and Nir Bitton lined up as the two central defenders with Avishai Cohen and Roy Revivo completing the back-four on the right and left respectively. Keane’s midfield engine room of Joris van Overeem, Dor Peretz and Gabi Kanichowsky was left unchanged. Dan Biton returned to the side at the expense of Dor Turgeman who dropped to the bench while Felicio Milson was named on the opposite flank. Eran Zahavi, wearing the captain’s armband led the team out aiming to add to his 17 goals in all competitions by scoring his 400th career goal.
On the bench, alongside Mosquerra, Keane named: Enric Saborit, Dor Turgeman, Yonatan Cohen, Eyal Golasa, Ofir Davidzada, Kiko Bondoso, Osher Davida and Yvann Macon.
First Half
Maccabi began the match on the front with some slick passing which carved Sakhnin’s defence open as early as the 3rd minute. Roy Revivo picked Eran Zahavi on the edge of the before the 36-year-old’s delicate backheal flick released Gabi Kanichowsky through. The diminutive midfielder calmly slotted his shot into the bottom corner to put Maccabi infront with his second league goal and third in all competitions.
Dor Peretz could have doubled the score two minutes later as he found himself unmarked in the center of the area, but the midfielder sliced his shot wide of the target.
Maccabi continued to dominate and came close once again as Dan Biton dribbled into the area on 27 before squaring towards the goal mouth only for Peretz to once again miscue his effort wide.
In the 43rd minute Felicio Milson charged into the area and cut the ball back for Zahavi but the veteran marksman who pounced on the chance to score, blasted his shot over the crossbar.
Second Half
With no changes at halftime, Maccabi returned for the second half knowing that their stubborn opponents are capable of clawing their way back into the game. In the 55th minute Peretz came close once again after Joris van Overeem won a challenge and fed the midfielder whose powerful drive was blocked by Sakhnin’s captain Maroun Gantous for a corner. This was van Overeem’s final contribution on the night as he was replaced a minute later by Osher Davida.
Right on the hour mark Peretz finally got his goal as Kanichowsky spotted him on the edge of the area. Peretz, on his 300th appearance for Maccabi unleashed a thunderous right foot shot which was tipped by Mohamad Abu Nil onto his crossbar before striking the keeper’s back and landing inside the goal. Milson came close in the 66th minute as the Angolan winger rifled Biton’s cut-back over the crossbar.
Three minutes later Milson’s shot forced Abu Nil to stretch himself and save, while a minute later Zahavi bagged his 400th career goal with a perfect volley to increase the lead to 3-0. Biton and Zahavi bowed out before the match was restarted as Keane introduced Kiko Bondoso and Dor Turgeman.
A mistake in Maccabi’s defence on 75 allowed Ilay Elmkeis to beat Roy Mishpati for close range and cut the deficit. Keane made his final two changes in the 77th minute as Eyal Golasa and Yonatan Cohen replaced by Peretz ams Milson.
Cohen’s impact was almost instant as his pinpoint cross found Davida unmarked at the far post, but from almost point blank range the winger managed to guide the ball to the wrong side of the post. In the 82nd minute however Sakhnin scored their second through Mohamad Shaker whose low drive made it 3-2 and ensured a nervous ending to the game.
Cohen led a counter attack in the 87th minute before his attempt of a square ball to Turgeman was cleared by Sakhnin’s defence. The fourth official indicated six minutes of added time with Sakhnin desperate to grab a late equaliser.
Davida could have sealed the win in the closing minute as he broke into the area to run clear through but with only the keeper to beat had his effort saved by Abu Nil seconds before Orel Grinfeeld blew the final whistle. Maccabi will now turn their attention to Thursday’s Conference League home match against Gent in Serbia.
Davida could have sealed the win in the closing minute as he broke into the area to run clear through but with only the keeper to beat had his effort saved by Abu Nil seconds before Orel Grinfeeld blew the final whistle. Maccabi will now turn their attention to Thursday’s Conference League home match against Gent in Serbia.
