Preview

Maccabi returned to Bloomfield stadium for the MD23 ONE ZERO League match with a clear intention to return to winning ways after a winless run of three matches. Last week’s 2-1 defeat away to Maccabi Netanya ended Maccabi’s 11-match unbeaten run, but also kept Aitor Karanka’s charges with 45 points, four adrift of tonight’s opponents Hapoel Be’ersheva and eight behind leaders Maccabi Haifa. Elyaniv Barda’s in-form side, are unbeaten in their last 7 league matches and have only 1 defeat in the their last 19 league outings against Haifa. Ashdod’s 3-1 victory over the Haifaites at the weekend, made the match at Bloomfield even more interesting due to the effect it should have on the league standing before the regular season is concluded and the order of matches in the playoff is determined.

Maccabi’s coach Aitor Karanka made two changes from the side which was beaten by Netanya as Nir Bitton returned the starting line-up as one of three central defenders in front of goalkeeper Daniel Peretz. Enric Saborit and Derrick Luckassen joined Bitton at the heart of defence, with Andre Geraldes on the right and Ofir Davidzada on the left completing Maccabi’s defensive line. Eyal Golasa also returned to the starting line-up and joined Dan Glazer in the engine room with Parfait Guiagon at the top of the midfield trio. Upfront, Karanka kept his striking duo as Eran Zahavi and Djordje Jovanovic with an aim to emulate their striking partnership which resulted with 25 league goals so far.

On the bench, Karnaka, named goalkeeper Or Yitzhak, Dan Biton, Rares Ilie, Gabi Kanichowsky, Joris van Overeem, Avi Rikan, Maor Kandil, Dor Turgeman and Dor Peretz.

First Half

The match began with pressure in the middle of the park, as none of the teams managed to stamp their authority. Maccabi came close to draw first blood twelve minutes from the start as Ofir Davidzada curled a cross from the left into the path of Djordje Jovanovic. The Serbian forward ghosted into the area behind the Be’ersheva backline and sent a glancing header that narrowly missed the target.

Three minutes later the combination of Davidzada and Djordjevic almost resulted with a goal. Davidzada floated a free kick into the area and Djordjevic rose above three Be’ersheva defenders and once again sent his header wide.

Within a minute Maccabi took the lead from the unlikeliest of sources. Enric Saborit sent a long pass from the halfway line which cut through Be’ersheva’s midfield and found Eran Zahavi and Jovanovic on the edge of the area. Jovanovic slid the ball to Parfait Guiagon who spotted Andre Gerlades break into Be’ersheva’s penalty box. The Portuguese 32-year-old full-back blasted a shot which beat Omri Glazer to score his first goal in a Maccabi shirt and his debut goal at senior level.

Daniel Peretz was called into action minutes later as the Maccabi custodian charged off his line to pick up a cross before a Be’ersheva player could cause any threat.

Maccabi continued to look dangerous as Derrick Luckassen floated a cross in the 38th minute but Jovanovic’s header didn’t trouble Glazer too much. Be’ersheva’s captain Miguel Vitor limped off with an injury and was replaced by Mariano Barriero in the 40th minute. Within a minute Jovanovic blasted a powerful drive from 25 meters only to see his effort clear the crossbar.

Second Half

Maccabi’s coach Aitor Karanka made one change after the interval as Gabi Kanichowsky replaced Guiagon for the restart. Moments later Jovanovic was sent clear through but the Serbian forward who was placed under pressure by two defenders, couldn’t manage a shot on target.

In the 56th minute Eran Zahavi slid a through ball into the path of Eyal Golasa who struggled to keep his shot down with the ball sailing high over the crossbar. Karanka made another change in the 65th minute as Nir Bitton limped off and was replaced by Dor Peretz, Avi Rikan came in for the tired Golasa and Jovanovic bowed out with Rares Ilie making his home debut.

In the 71^st minute, Be’ersheva’s defence struggled to clear a Rikan cross before the ball fell to Kanichowsky whose left foot effort sailed over. Three minutes later Zahavi met a Geraldes pinpoint cross with a diving header but Be’ersheva’s keeper pulled a stunning reflex save to deny the veteran marksman from doubling Maccabi’s lead.

Be’ersheva’s defence was caught napping in the 86th minute Rikan and Ilie who charged into the area but the Romanian’s attempt of a cut-back struck the side netting. Three minutes inside injury time Be’ersheva thought they levelled the score as Maccabi’s defence didn’t deal with a Helder Lopes free kick which bobbled in off the crossbar. But VAR dampened the visitors’ celebrations as Eitan Tibi was spotted in an offside position and cancelled what would have been a dramatic equaliser.

While Be’ersheva were rocked by the goal which was cancelled, Maccabi came close to exploit that at the opposite end. A counter attack led by Dor Peretz continued with a through ball to Rikan whose chip left Zahavi with the goal at his mercy. But somehow Zahavi volleyed his effort from point blank range against the post before Roei Reinshreiber sounded the full time whistle to end the contest and cue the celebrations in the stands.

might be a bit difficult to grasp how time has flown so quickly. Only recently we marked 10 years since that night which we would not exaggerate by naming it as one of Maccabi’s most memorable exciting nights of the current era. On February 18th 2013 Bnei Yehuda hosted Maccabi at Bloomfield stadium for a mini Tel Aviv derby in the middle of a league campaign which restored the club to the front of Israeli football.

Oscar Garcia’s charges arrived at the match on the back of a 4-0 victory over arch city rivals Hapoel on MD22 with an 8-point-lead at the top of the table. Maccabi’s fans were fantasizing in the stands at Bloomfield of a first leg title in many a year (10) but on the pitch the team encountered a complex affair against the neighboring Hatiqva Quarter outfit.

Bnei Yehuda pulled a late comeback and were on the brink of forcing Maccabi to drop precious points in the race for the league title.

But what ultimately saw the match and night enter the history books is a bizarre script which unfolded right before our eyes deep inside injury time.

From being a goal down after the 90th minute, the team wearing that season’s blue away kit, managed to dig themselves out of the grave with a match and a championship winning goal that coined a new phrase – ‘The Lugassi rocket’.

Maccabi Tel Aviv and Hapoel Be’ersheva faced each for 125 league encounters of which Maccabi won 57, lost 30 while 38 matches were drawn. The total goal tally in matches between the two sides currently stands on 175-109.

Maccabi’s club record of the longest unbeaten run was set against Be’ersheva was set between May 1991 and April 2002 and stands on 21 matches. Maccabi has an existing 20-long unbeaten run in Tel Aviv derbies against Hapoel.

Over the years Maccabi hosted Be’ersheva in the league for 64 encounters winning 35, losing 10 and drawing a further 19. To date, Maccabi scored a 100 goals against Be’ersheva at home with the goal tally currently stands on 100-46.

The first meeting between the two sides took place just over 61 years ago on February 3^rd 1962 in the Semi Final of the State Cup. Yitzhak Fleshel (2) and Shiye Glazer scored the goals at Jerusalem’s Katamon stadium which saw Maccabi beat the second division side 3-0 and reach the Final.

Maccabi’s highest victory over Be’ersheva (5-0) was recorded twice in the championship winning seasons of 1995/96 and 2012/13.

Three hundred and four Maccabi Tel Aviv players featured against Hapoel Be’ersheva. Sheran Yeini holds the record of 33 appearances against Be’ersheva.

Benny Tabak is Maccabi’s leading goal-scorer against Be’ersheva with 9 goals to his name while Eli Driks (8), Itzik Zohar and Dror Bar Nur have 7 goals each.

No less than 48 players featured for both sides in the league. Ofir Davidzada and Dan Biton of the current Maccabi squad played for Be’ersheva, while Eytan Tibi, Etey Shechter, Dor Micha, Sagiv Yehezkel and Eden Shamir played at Maccabi. 

On the eve of Monday’s league match against Hapoel Be’ersheva at Bloomfield (20:30), Maccabi’s owner representative, Jack Angelides, spoke to the media and addressed several topics concerning the club which were on the table.

 

The 27-year-old midfielder spoke ahead of the game against Hapoel Be’ersheva which could see Maccabi return to winning ways after three winless matches: “We must recover quickly from those matches we are currently experiencing whether that be good or not so good” Peretz said. After suffering their first defeat in 11 matches against Maccabi Netanya, Peretz said: “We recovered quickly from the defeat against Netanya, we learned from our mistakes and a dat after the game we were already focused only on the game against Be’ersheva.”

 

On his importance for the team, Peretz said: “I am here to help the team and do my best. If I have a poor game, it effects the team just like any other player has a poor match, it effects the team. We are one united team, one unit and we need everything in this battle. I simply want us to be there, every player, in every moment, until the end of the season, because we have our targets and are not giving up on them.”

On the race for the league title, Peretz said: “Every match is a chance for us to be back in tbe title race all the way till the end. We have a chance to narrow the gap and chase the leaders in a strong way. Every game is a chance to win three points and narrow the gap – this is clearly in our hands.”

Knowing the strengths of Be’ersheva, Peretz summed up: “We should expect a high tempo match and show up with the same level of aggressiveness and intensity. This is what I expect of us”.