50 encounters against Kiryat Shmona

The forthcoming league match against Kiryat Shmona will be the 50 encounter between the two clubs in all competitions. The record so far shows that Maccabi won 29 matches, Kiryat Shmona won 9 and 11 matches ended in draws. The total goal tally is 93-47 in Maccabi’s favor.

Sunday’s match will be the first of two matches in the Play-off this season. Both sides met each other in the Play-Off’s 8 times as 6 matches were won by Maccabi, 2 matches ended in a draw with a success rate of 83%.

Maccabi won their last 11 league matches against Kiryat Shmona to equal a club’s all-time record against the same opponent achieved against Hapoel Acco 2017/18 and Zafririm Holon 2000/01. A victory over Kiryat Shmona on Sunday, will set a new club record.

A result that repeats itself on MD31

The match against Kiryat Shmona will conclude the first round of the Play-Off. Under the current structure (since the 2012/13 season) Maccabi’s record in the first round of the Play-Off’s is 24 victories, 14 draws, 6 defeats and a 65% success rate.

The record Maccabi has in the second round of the Play-Off’s is slightly less impressive: 22 victories, 9 draws and 9 defeats with a 63% success rate.

Over the past three seasons Maccabi ended the first round of the Play-Off (MD31) with an identical result 2-0. Maccabi beat Bnei Yehuda twice and Hapoel Tel Aviv once with the same 2-0 result.

Maccabi’s record against Kobi Refuah

The record of Kiryat Shmona’s coach, Kobi Refuah, against Maccabi Tel Aviv is so far – 1 victory, 3 draws and 11 defeats.

In 11 of the 15 times Refuah guided teams against Maccabi, his sides failed to score a goal. This includes four matches Maccabi beat Kiryat Shmona this season and in 2019/20 whilst keeping a clean sheet.

“We know there are no easy matches in the Play-Off. Every match is a war. Every team that reached the top Play-Off are there on merit and they are a team that proved it all season long. We have excellent players and are in good form and at a good season – so we need to keep at it and believe that tomorrow will do our job”.

Davidzada, who played in the last time Maccabi visited Kiryat Shmona, which was the first match fans were allowed in after a year-long-period, added: “In every game we can feel and see the push the fans give us and how much it helps us, so I believe that tomorrow they will do their job for us. When the fans returned all the emotions were flowing again – the excitement was back. I felt like a kid in that game at Kiryat Shmona. We can see the strength and their influence in every game as they are our 12th player”.

The 2020/21 league season is reaching its final run-in as the IPFL announced this evening (Thursday) the updated fixture list until the end of the season.

The top of the table clash which will see Maccabi Tel Aviv host Maccabi Haifa at Bloomfield stadium will be staged on Sunday May 9th at 20:30. Three days after facing each other in the league, both sides will line-up at Bloomfield once again, this time in the Semi Final of the State Cup

Updated fixture list:

MD33, Sunday May 9th – Maccabi Tel Aviv vs Maccabi Haifa (Bloomfield, 20:30)

State Cup Semi Final: Wednesday, May12th – Maccabi Haifa vs Maccabi Tel Aviv (Bloomfield, 20:30)

MD34, Monday May 17th – Maccabi Petah Tikva vs Maccabi Tel Aviv (Petah Tikva, 20:30)

MD35, Saturday May 22nd – Ashdod SC vs Maccabi Tel Aviv (Ashdod, 20:30*)

MD36, Tuesday May 25th – Maccabi Tel Aviv vs Ironi Kiryat Shmona (Bloomfield, 20:30*)

 

* Kick-Off times could be changed in the event that sporting matters might not require matches to be played at the same time

Having secured a place in the Semi Final with a 1-0 victory over Ashdod last night, Maccabi were drawn against the winner between Maccabi Haifa and Hapoel Afula at the IFA Headquarters today (Thursday).

Five clubs entered the draw for the Semi Finals that will be played at Bloomfield stadium between May 11th – May 12th. In the match which concluded the Quarter Finals Maccabi Haifa beat second division side Hapoel Afula 4-1 at Sammy Offer to secure the fourth and final Semi Final place.

Second division side Beitar Tel Aviv Bat Yam that beat Bnei Sachnin 4-0 last night – will compete with Hapoel Tel Aviv for a place in the State Cup final.

State Cup Semi Finals:

May 11th, Tuesday – Hapoel Tel Aviv vs Beitar Tel Aviv Bat Yam (Bloomfield, 20:30)

May 12th, Wednesday – Maccabi Haifa vs Maccabi Tel Aviv (Bloomfield, 20:30)

Pregame

Three days after being held to a 1-1 draw by Ashdod at Bloomfield, both sides lined-up against each other in the Quarter Finals of the State Cup. With a ticket in the Semi Final at stake, Maccabi’s coach Patrick van Leeuwen made several changes to his starting line-up. Eytan Tibi stepped-in for Matan Baltaxa as the partner of Louis Hernandez at the heart of defense that other than that remained unchanged. Eden Karzev and Dan Glazer returned to the heart of midfield to partner Dor Peretz as the midfield trio.

Eduardo Guerrero who made a second half substitute appearance against Ashdod returned to the front-line on one wing as did Tal Ben Chaim and Nick Blackman who were both rested on Sunday. Aleksandar Pesic, Matan Hozez, Avi Rikan and Sheran Yeini all dropped to the bench waiting for their chance to make an impact alongside Etey Shechter and Ofir Davidzada.

First Half

Maccabi began the match with pressure on Ashdod right from the off but despite the fact most of the play was in the home side’s half, Yoav Geraffi wasn’t required to do much. Eduardo Guerrero looked lively down the right flank but a cross he sent in couldn’t find the heads of Tal Ben Chaim or Nick Blackman.

Ashdod were forced to make a change early in the game as Timothy Awani was stretchered off and replaced by Omri Ben Harush on 27. Dor Peretz came close with a flying close range header on the stroke of halftime following another Guerrero cross, but Geraffi pulled a spectacular save which wouldn’t have counted anyway as the midfielder was deemed to have been offside.

Second Half

Van Leeuwen made his first substitution after the interval as Sheran Yeini replaced Dan Glazer for the restart. Ashdod on the other hand made the same change they did at Bloomfield on Sunday as Ya’acov Brihon came in this time for Moussa Bagayoko.

In the 52nd minute Maccabi launched a counter attack that resulted with Ben Chaim breaking through being fouled on the edge of the area by Tom Ben Zaken. Peretz stepped-up to take the free kick which he powerfully side-footed low only to be deflected past Geraffi and break the deadlock.

Aleksandar Pesic and Yonatan Cohen came-in for Blackman and Ben Chaim right on the hour mark as Van Leeuwen added more firepower upfront.

Five minutes later, Cohen sent a cross which rolled across the face of goal with Guerrero launching himself to try and push the ball home but the Panamanian forward couldn’t connect. An Enric Saborit cross was headed towards goal by Peretz forcing Geraffi to stretch himself and deny Maccabi a second goal.

Van Leeuwen made his two last changes as Avi Rikan and Matan Hozez replaced the industrious Karzev and the tired Guerero for the final 12 minutes. Yeini fired a left foot shot from the edge of the area that crept to the wrong side of Geraffi’s post on 82. Hozez who just came in, pulled his hamstring yet remained on the pitch in-order not to leave the team to fight with 10 men for the closing stages. The injury gave way as Hozez couldn’t continue and was stretchered off before the referee indicated 6 minutes of added time.

Ashdod tried everything in a desperate bid to clinch a late equaliser but Maccabi defended bravely until Idan Leiba’s full time whistle that secured Maccabi’s place in the Semi Finals.