Maccabi’s 36-year-old captain, Sheran Yeini, faced the TV cameras at the end of the 3-1 defeat to Maccabi Haifa at Sammy Ofer and said: “Maccabi Tel Aviv is a massive, glorious club which has won so many titles that when you reach the third season without winning the championship you are disappointed and there is no better word to describe it. Our role is to correct the mistakes, we all share the responsibility, from the bottom to the top. Everyone should draw the maximum out of himself and we will not be ashamed to talk about the fact that next season we will come back better and have a season which Maccabi deserves. At the end of the season we will talk to whoever we need to as we will join forces and with good communication will reach the best solutions.”

Yeini, who battled hard throughout the match with Haifa’s players who are on the verge of securing the title, added: “We always come and give our heart and soul on the pitch, and today was no different. Haifa were the better side, they deserved to win and we will see what happens next. I believe that they will win as well, and then one should say fair play to them as they had a long season. We are all athletes that work hard and to win a league title is not easy, one must suffer for it and they deserve credit for that.”

When asked if he has some message to the Maccabi fan base, Yeini replied: “Our fans know that we will give everything we have, that we care about the club and we want to take it to where it deserves to be. Believe me that we did not have fun, but we must be better, more dominant, more attacking and this is exactly what we will be.”

Preview

Five days after being knocked out of the State Cup in the Semi Final by Beitar Jerusalem, Maccabi returned to the Sammy Ofer stadium aiming to turn their attention to league action with a tough encounter against the leaders. Eight points behind Maccabi Haifa and four adrift of second place Hapoel Be’ersheva that face Maccabi at Bloomfield next week, Aitor Karanka and his charges would have certainly wished for a different scenario.

With Eran Zahavi, Enric Saborit and Shahar Piven all ruled-out with the injuries they picked against Beitar last week, Karanka was forced to make changes to his team. Sheran Yeini returned to the heart of defence as the veteran captain led the team out with the captain’s armband before lining-up alongside Derrick Luckassen. Andre Geraldes on the right and Ofir Davidzada on the left completed Maccabi’s defensive line in-front of goalkeeper Daniel Peretz. Dan Glazer and Dor Peretz were both assigned to the midfield engine room with Gabi Kanichowsky drafted in to strengthen Maccabi’s centre. Dan Biton and Parfait Guiagon supplied the width to Karanka’s formation. In the absence of Zahavi, Djordje Jovanovic led the line as the 23-year-old Serbian striker spearheaded the attack aiming to add to his 15 league goals and 23 in all competitions.

On the bench alongside goalkeeper Daniel Tenenbaum, Karanka, named Rares Ilie, Joris van Overeem, Eyal Golasa, Yonatan Cohen, Eylon Almog, Maor Kandil, Dor Turgeman and Nir Bitton.

First Half

The match began with both sides fighting for possession in the middle of the park as it was Maccabi that created the first chance. In the ninth minute Gabi Kanichowsky released Djordje Jovanovic who raced from the halfway line before sending a weak left foot shot which was equalled by Josh Cohen.

Within a minute and at the opposite end, Daniel Peretz, was called into action as he was at full stretch to punch out Omer Atzili’s dangerous free kick. Peretz, was at his best a minute later to keep his goal locked after Tjaronn Cherry released Dia Saba only for Maccabi’s custodian to pull a reflex save. In the 14th minute Maccabi took the lead after Dan Biton cut in from the right and teed-up Kanichowsky whose left foot low drive from the edge of the area proved too powerful and accurate for Cohen.

The goal silenced Haifa’s supporters and sent Maccabi’s 2000 plus travelling fans into a state of delirium. Minutes later, Haifa were inches away from drawing level as Dolev Haziza rose above Andre Geraldes and sent a header towards Atzili. But with the goal at his mercy and from point blank range Atzili somehow managed to guide his shot onto the post. Parfait Guiagon forced Cohen to claw his curling shot from the edge of the area on 23, while a minute later Haifa’s American born keeper pulled an identical save to keep out Kanichowsky’s shot from the exact same position.

In the 38th minute though a mistake in Maccabi’s defence helped Haifa level the score. A poor Derrick Luckassen back-pass left Peretz in no man’s land before his attempt of a clearance struck Haziza and rolled into the net. Jovanovic was shown the yellow card by referee Orel Grinfeeld for a tackle on Sean Goldberg as Maccabi kept on battling for each ball at both ends of the pitch.

Grinfeeld’s half-time whistle sent both teams to regroup in the dressing room ahead of another action packed 45 plus minutes.

Second Half

Four minutes after the restart Haifa completed their comeback as Pierre Cornud was given the time and space to send a low powerful drive towards goal. Peretz dived to his left and was only able to push the ball but just like Haifa’s first goal the ball struck Saba and went in to make it 2-1.

The hosts increased their lead in the 62nd minute as a long pass caught Maccabi’s defence flat to reach Cherry. Sheran Yeini who marshalled Maccabi’s defence and hardly got a foot wrong all game, couldn’t reach his opposite Surinamese number who teed-up Saba. The diminutive Haifa forward sent a low left foot shot which shaved Andre Geraldes before going in off the post.  Karanka made a double change on 67 as he introduced Eyal Golasa and Eylon Almog for Glazer Biton. In the 70th minute Almog flashed a shot wide of the post with his right while three minutes later he sent a left foot half volley straight at the hands of Cohen.

Karanka made two more changes in the 84th minute as Jovanovjc and Kanichowsky bowed out and were replaced by Dor Turgeman and Yonatan Cohen. Din David could have increased Haifa’s lead seconds later but he sent his shot against the side netting. Cohen tried firing a free kick which sailed high and wide as Maccabi pushed forward in a desperate bid to try and get back into the game. But none of their attempts managed to bear fruit before the full-time whistle ended the contest.

The defeat kept Maccabi on 67 points and with Hapoel B’ersheva beating Ashdod 1-0, the gap from second place has been increased to seven points – a week before their visit to Bloomfield stadium.    

Monday’s match at Sammy Ofer will the 175^th league encounter between the two sides and the fixture played more than  any other in the top flight. The all-time record currently stands on 72 Maccabi victories, 50 victories for Haifa while 52 matches were drawn with a goal tally of 254-216.

Since Maccabi Haifa began hosting matches at the Sammy Ofer stadium, the venue hosted 16 league encounters between the two sides. Maccabi has a 62.5% success rate winning 8 drawing 6 and losing 2 matches.

Under the current league format and since the 2012/13 season, both sides faced each other 19 times in the Playoffs. Maccabi are unbeaten against Haifa in the Playoffs winning 9 and drawing 10 with a goal tally of 32-13.

Since the Millennium, Maccabi reached the State Cup Semi Final 10 times – winning 7 and losing 3. Maccabi’s record after playing in the Semi Finals: 7 victories and 3 draws with a goal tally of 25-5.

Haifa’s coach, Barak Bakhar, faced Maccabi for 38 league matches with Ironi Kiryat Shmona, Hapoel Be’ersheva and his current Haifa club. Bakhar’s record against Maccabi currently stands on 15 defeats, 13 draws and 10 victories.

Orel Grinfeld who will officiate the match, was the referee in 7 of the league encounters between the sides of which Maccabi won 5 and lost 2 (2012 and 2017).

The fixture will take place on MD34 with Maccabi enjoying an extra ordinary record. Last season Maccabi recorded a 3-1 victory away to Haifa on MD34 and will aim for a repeat this season. Since the 2011/12 season, Maccabi has an unbeaten record on MD34 winning 10 matches and drawing once with a goal tally of 21-4.

Four days after the State Cup Semi Final exit at Sammy Ofer, and on the eve of Maccabi’s return to the same venue for the league encounter against the leaders, Maccabi’s midfielder, Dor Peretz, shared the feeling in the camp: “We wanted to be a different place we are now yet suffered a major, but this is part of the game. We have no choice but to move on especially as we have such a prestigious match ahead of us – so we need to bounce back and recover fast”.

 

Maccabi are currently ranked third with 67 points, four adrift of Hapoel Be’ersheva that cut their gap from leaders Maccabi Haifa to four points after last week’s injury time victory over Maccabi Haifa. But the incidents that followed after the final whistle which will be settled by the IFA Disciplinary court later this week, could result with the deduction of points and a change to the table. When asked about a potential return to the title race, Peretz said: “I expect us to arrive on Monday and give everything we can in-order to win this match without looking at Maccabi Haifa, Be’ersheva or the battle between them. We must look at ourselves, it is a very prestigious and important match for us. If we will do our share then we will be satisfied.”

The midfielder who will celebrate his 28^th birthday next week and won a host of trophies at the club, tried reflecting on the disappointing season: “This is something I refuse to accept. For now there is nothing one can do besides collect all the experiences we had this season and take them as part of our learning and development. Expectations is something which exists here every season in accordance with the budget, the squad and the coaching staff. As soon as we all as a collective don’t meet the targets we set for us it is regarded as a disappointment.”

In view of the future, Peretz summed up: “Where will this season head? If we take all the experiences we had from this season and channel them towards a development we will progress to the best place we could as a club.”