“As far as we are concerned the title race continues. We will give everything, want to win every match” Perez said, “Let’s say that we will do what is up to us and what is beyond us doesn’t belong to us”.

On Wednesday’s opponent, Peretz added: “This is a tough match against a tough team. They are an excellent side. We will have to prepare accordingly as we always do. The coaching staff will prepare us and we will have to show up and give everything. We want to win like we do in every match, we never give up on anything, just like we did so far. Everyone shows up and give it their best”.

Following the victory in the State Cup, Maccabi returned to the league and looked impressive once again yesterday (Sunday). 

Patrick van Leeuwen’s charges beat Maccabi Petah Tikva 3-0 with a few interesting statistics emerging following the match at the Petah Tikva stadium.

The record at Petah Tikva

Last night was the 7th successive victory that Maccabi won at a Petah Tikva stadium whilst keeping a clean sheet. Victories over Petah Tikva (2), Hapoel Kfar Sava (2), Hapoel Ra’anana, Ironi Nes Ziona and Bnei Yehuda). 

This is an all time league record for any team at an away ground.

This record at the Petah Tikva stadium equalls Maccabi’s run of victories with a clean sheet at home (7 victories) – that was achieved twice: Bloomfield in February 1970 and Netanya in April 2017.

92% of this season’s goals were scored from inside the penalty area.

All three of the goals scored last night were scored from inside the penalty area. 

Maccabi scored 56 of the 61 goals scored this season (including penalties) from inside the area – 92% which is the highest percentage since the 2009/10 season.

The victory was Maccabi’s 9th win of the last 10 attempts on MD34 which makes that specific league round with the highest success rate of any other league round.

The historic record:  11 wins, 5 draws, 1 defeat and a 74.5% success rate.

On the other hand, Maccabi’s “Jinx round” is MD33 with a success rate of “only” 48.1% and a record of: 10 wins, 9 draws, and 8 defeats.

The youngsters debut

Etey Shechter last night his 20th goal for Maccabi in all competitions.

This was the third time the veteran forward scored in two successive matches.

Pre Match

Three days after booking their place at the State Cup Final following the victory over Maccabi Haifa at Sammy Ofer, Maccabi Tel Aviv arrived at the Petah Tikva Stadium aiming to keep the race for the championship alive.

Trailing the leaders by four points in the table and with three matches left until the end of the Playoff, only a victory could keep Maccabi’s hopes of retaining the league title. Boosted by the arrival of the foreign players who returned to Israel over the weekend, Maccabi’s coach Patrick van Leeuwen named Enric Saborit, Andre Geraldes and Louis Hernandez on the substitutes bench.

Van Leeuwen kept the same defensive line that beat Haifa as Eytan Tibi, Matan Baltaxa, Shahar Piven and Ofir Davidzada as the back-four in front of Daniel Tenenabum. With Sheran Yeini serving a one-match touchline ban, Eden Karzev stepped into the midfield alongside Dan Glazer and Dor Peretz.

Tal Ben Chaim who recovered from the injury that kept him against Maccabi Haifa, returned to the side and was named as one of the two wingers together with Eduardo Guerrero. Etey Shechter whose brace against Haifa led Maccabi to the Cup Final, kept his place upfront as he led the attack from the striker’s role.

Dan Biton, Eylon Almog, Dor Turgeman, Niv Berkovitz and Or Roizman all joined Saborit, Geraldes and Hernandez waiting for their chance to make an impact from the bench.

First Half

Maccabi didn’t wait long to launch the first attempt on goal as 45 seconds from the start Tal Ben Chaim found Eduardo Guerrero whose shot flew high over the crossbar. Six minutes later, a Guerrero cross sailed across the face of goal but couldn’t find a Maccabi player in the penalty area.

Guy Hadida dispossessed Guerrero deep inside Maccabi’s half but the Petah Tikva captain’s shot from the edge of the area, cleared Daniel Tenenbaum’s crossbar.

Dor Peretz, Guerrero and Ofir Davidzada were all booked by referee Gal Leibovic as the aggressive match from both sides claimed their toll. In the 35th minute, Peretz carved Petah Tikva’s defense open as he released Ben Chaim into the area, but the attempt of a shot by the Maccabi winger was blocked by Or Balorian.

Bar Arad ghosted into the Maccabi area to pick Morgan Ferrier’s cross on 41 before Matan Baltaxa slid-in with a last gasp tackle to clear the danger before Tenenbaum was required to make a save.

 

Second Half

With no goals in the first half and no changes at halftime, both teams emerged out of their dressing rooms knowing that only a better performance could change the score sheet.

A Ben Chaim counter attack three minutes after the restart resulted with a left foot shot that went high and wide.

Two minute after the hour mark as Van Leeuwen was preparing to make a double change, Maccabi took the lead through Guerrero. Peretz carved Petah Tikva’s defense open to release the Panamanian forward who kept his calm and sent a delicate chip over the advancing Arik Yanko to break the deadlock.

Regardless, of the lead, Dan Biton and Eylon Almog replaced Karzev and Ben Chaim in the 63^rd minute. The goal lifted Maccabi’s players and with the support of 3000 traveling fans the blitz continued. In the 69th minute Biton’s pinpoint through-ball found Shechter whose powerful drive went in off the crossbar to double the score. Andre Geraldes replaced Shechter who was stretchered off with a knock on 72.

Biton and Almog were both instrumental in Maccabi’s third on 78 as the young winger skipped past a defender and had his initial shot blocked by Yanko into the path of Guerrero before Peretz drove home the rebound from close range.

Young Or Roizman and Dor Turgeman were given a chance to make their senior league debut as they replaced Shahar Piven and Guerrero for the final five minutes. Biton came close to increase the lead even further on 89 as his left foot drive rattled the base of the post and repeated the feat shooting agonisingly wide seconds later.

The full time whistle sent Maccabi’s players to celebrate the 3-0 win with the fans, knowing that on Wednesday they have a tough trip to Ashdod that lost 2-0 to Haifa.

Pre Game

After several postponements due to the security situation, Maccabi Tel Aviv arrived at Sammy Ofer for the Semi Final of the State Cup that was relocated to Haifa.

With Louis Hernandez, Enric Saborit, Andre Geraldes, Aleksandar Pesic, Nick Blackman and Uros Nikolic all allowed to travel to their countries until the current climate calms down, Maccabi’s coach Patrick van Leeuwen had a depleted squad at his disposal.

A long injury list that already included Matan Hozez, Eyal Golasa, Avi Rikan and Maor Kandil was increased even further with the addition of Tal Ben Chaim who sustained a leg injury in training during the week. With van Leeuwen’s squad almost stripped to it’s bare bones, several youth players who bolstered the squad during training in Netanya, were named on the substitutes bench is surely the biggest game in their short careers.

In the absence of Hernandez, Saborit and Geraldes, Maccabi’s keeper Daniel Tenenbaum, making his 52nd start of the season, had a different defensive line in-front of him for the vital match. Eytan Tibi and Matan Baltaxa were named as the two central defenders with Ofir Davidzada and Shahar Piven completing the back-four on the left and right respectively.

Sheran Yeini, wearing the captain’s armband returned to the midfield alongside Dan Glazer as the two anchormen with Dor Peretz enjoying a bit more freedom to push forward.

Upfront, Itay Shechter who made a late substitute appearance during the 2-2 draw at Bloomfield led the attack right in front of Yonatan Cohen and Eduardo Guerrero.

 

Goalkeeper Daniel Peretz, midfielder Eden Karzev, and the two forwards Dan Biton and Eylon Almog were the only regular first-team players on the substitutes bench with Dor Turgeman, Itai Ben Hemo, Roi Revivo, Niv Berkovitz and Or Roizman making the numbers and waiting for a chance to make an impact.

First Half

Maccabi opened the match on the front foot and threatened to draw first blood as early as the third minute when a Sheran Yeini cross reached Eduardo Guerrero whose half volley from the far post was collected by Josh Cohen.

Tjaronn Chery was given the time and space in the 10th minute to blast a left foot shot from the edge of the area that flashed wide of Daniel Tenenbaum’s post.

Haifa’s Ofri Arad became the first player to go into Liran Liani’s book after being penalized for a foul on Shechter that stopped a Maccabi counter attack on 21. In the 29th minute Haifa’s defense struggled to deal with an Ofir Davidzada cross as the ball fell to Yeini whose shot narrowly missed the target.

Maccabi continued dominating as two minutes later, a Guerrero pinpoint cross found Yonatan Cohen at the far post, but the forward somehow managed to direct his close range header to the wrong side of the post.

On 41 Shechter created himself some space down the middle before his shot was deflected over the crossbar. The resulting corner was curled in by Eduardo Guerrero, flicked by Matan Baltaxa but narrowly missed Yeini’s diving attempt at the far post.

With no goals scored in the first 45 minutes, Liani’s halftime whistle sent both teams into the dressing room to regroup and return refreshed for the second half.

 

Second Half

Four minutes after the restart, Yonatan Cohen’s telling cross from the left flank failed to find a Maccabi player as the ball sailed across the face of goal. Two minutes later however, Shahar Piven found Yeini with a pass that carved Haifa’s penalty area open. The skipper sent a first time cross that was deflected in by Shechter to break the deadlock.

A minute after the hour mark Shechter doubled the score as the veteran forward latched onto an Eytan Tibi header following a Yonatan Cohen cross before finding the back of the net once again to make it 2-0.

Van Leeuwen made his first substitution in the 64th minute as Dan Biton replaced the tired Cohen. In his first touch, Biton almost set up a goal as his free kick found Yeini at the far post only to see the captain head high and wide.

Shechter bowed out to a standing ovation as he was replaced by Eylon Almog on 73. Seconds later Dolev Haziza teed-up Mohamad Abu Fani whose shot cleared Tenebaum’s crossbar. With Haifa desperately trying to go level, Biton released Guerrero through with a delicate chip in the 75th minute before the Panamanian had his shot blocked by Cohen. Guerrero who worked tirelessly throughout the match was replaced by Eden Karzev for the final three minutes.

Biton forced a finger-tip save from Cohen on 89 as his left foot shot was pushed out for a corner by the American born keeper. Moments later, Biton already celebrated a goal as he skipped past Cohen to roll the ball home only to see his goal ruled out for offside.  
Inside injury time Tenenbaum pulled a reflex save to deny Rami Gershon’s header as Maccabi’s custodian was adamant to keep a clean sheet. The final whistle saw Maccabi’s players celebrate with a small number of fans who were allowed in by the Israel Football Association in support of the rockets fired from the Gazza strip towards the South of Israel.

Maccabi now face bitter city rivals Hapoel in the final that is set to be played on June 2^nd at Sammy Ofer, unless the IFA relocates it to Bloomfield stadium.