“I expect a tough match” said Maccabi’s skipper, “I hope we will manage to overcome that with our preparations for the match. We are in the middle of a championship race and every point is important. But once again, I expect a very tough match and we must be prepared” Yeini added.

The skipper, also related to the vaccinations: “I received the first vaccine and will hopefully receive the second one. In this moment in time I would like to use the opportunity to call the fans to go and get vaccinated, surely this will speed our way back to normality sooner rather than later. The longer time goes by, it should speed-up the process to the return of everyone to the stadiums”.

Ten days after the late victory over Maccabi Haifa in the 95^th minute, Maccabi did it once again last night with a dramatic 1-0 victory deep inside injury time. This season Maccabi continue to prove that everything is possible, as the morning after the match we checked some of the details which emerged following the dramatic climax.

A new club record

Ten days is the shortest period of time between two victories Maccabi recorded in injury time.

After 19 league rounds, Maccabi won four matches inside injury time – a club record of victories recorded after the 90th minute in one season. Throughout history, Maccabi won a total of 29 matches inside injury time – 13.7% of which during half of this season alone.

The list Dor Peretz entered

Dor Peretz’s winning header against Bnei Sachnin was his 14^th career goal in the league.

This was the second time Peretz scores a winning goal after the 90^th minute. The previous time was a 95^th minute 1-0 winner over Hapoel Hadera in the 2018/19 season.

Peretz joins a respectable list of four Maccabi players who scored two injury time winners in the league: Yonatan Cohen, Eran Zahavi, Avi Nimni and Zvika Studinsky.

Giyora Spiegel is the only player who scored 3 injury time winners (November 1966, December 1968 and April 1970).

Van Leeuwen’s amazing start

Patrick van Leeuwen and Maccabi continue their impressive run of form since his appointment as Head Coach. The Dutchman has so far collected 22 points from a possible 24.

This is the best start for a coach / manager at Maccabi since the 1953/54 season.

On the other hand, Bnei Sachnin’s coach Niso Avitan became the first coach in history to lose all his seven league encounters against Maccabi. Avitan lost 4 of those whilst at Hapoel Hadera, once with Hapoel Ra’anana and twice with Bnei Sachnin.

 

“This is a super important goal” Peretz admitted shortly after the end of the match, “we were not at our best, we could have won the game earlier if we would have put away our chances. Luckily, we did it in the last minute and there is nothing sweeter than that”.

On Maccabi’s form on the night in comparison to other matches, the 25-year-old midfielder added: “There is nothing easy in this league. Every match is tough and this was evident today. We struggled and didn’t create too many chances. Luckily we won the game and this is the most important thing”

For the visit of Bnei Sachnin to Bloomfield stadium, Maccabi went into this match with 36 points from 18 matches – five points adrift of leaders Maccabi Haifa. Maccabi’s Head Coach Patrick van Leeuwen who guided the team to a third victory in succession against Hapoel Be’ersheva, was aiming to record an 11th victory this season.

In the absence of Enric Saborit who is serving a one-match-touchline-ban, van Leeuwen named Ofir Davidzada in the starting line-up on the left side of defense. Eytan Tibi and Luis Hernandez were the two central defenders in front of Daniel Tenenbaum while Andre Geraldes, on the right, completed the back-four. Avi Rikan, who made a second half substitute appearance against Be’ersheva, stepped into the midfield alongside Dan Glazer and Dor Peretz. While upfront, Matan Hozez kept his place on the wing, with Eylon Almog and Aleksandar Pesic stepping in for Tal Ben Chaim and Etey Shechter who both waited for their chance on the bench

First Half

Seven minutes from the start an Ofir Davidzada ball was misjudged by Bnei Sachnin’s defense and reached Matan Hozez. Sachnin’s keeper Mahmoud Kandil charged off his goal line but Hozez who tried to skip past him over hit his pass before the danger was cleared. Mofleh Shalata who began the season on loan at Beitar Tel Aviv Bat Yam but joined Sachnin on loan in January, tried curling a shot in the 9th minute but directed his shot from inside the area straight at Daniel Tenenbaum.

 An Eylon Almog shot in the 14th minute was blocked for a corner which Sachnin’s defense managed to clear. Hozez floated a free kick straight at the keeper on 19 and Almog did exactly the same as Maccabi continued to dominate.

Eytan Tibi tried his luck with a right foot shot from outside the area in the 40th minute, but the central defender’s effort didn’t find the target. With the score still at 0-0, Daniel Bar Natan’s halftime whistle sent both teams into their dressing rooms hoping that the goals will be scored in the second half.

Second Half

A minute after the restart, Sachnin came close as a Shalata cross from the left eluded Maccabi’s defense and flew across the face of Tenenbaum’s goal. Avi Rikan managed to pick Almog with a clever chip in the 56th minute but the winger’s shot from inside the area hit the side netting.

Right on the hour mark Osamah Halaila forced Tenenbaum to stretch himself and punch a dangerous right foot shot. Aleksandar Pesic teed-up Rikan on 63 but the midfielder sent a left foot shot which missed the target. A minute later, Rikan charged into the area and collided with the advancing keeper, but the contact wasn’t enough to award Maccabi a penalty.

Van Leeuwen made a double substitution in the 66th minute as Sheran Yeini and Tal Ben Chaim replaced Dan Glazer and Almog.  Biton came in for Rikan in the 71st minute as van Leeuwen added a fresh pair of legs to the midfield. He came close to make an instant impact as the ball struck Biton’s knee to free Pesic on 72 but the tall Serbian striker didn’t get a clear shot allowing Kandil to save.

While Maccabi continued to dominate yet struggle to get a shot on target, Shalata forced Tenenbaum to make another save in the 79th minute. Two minutes later a ball fell to Ben Chaim inside the area but the veteran winger failed to keep his shot down. Etey Shechter was given a chance as he replaced Hozez for the final 8 minutes. Inside injury time Dor Peretz missed a chance to score as Maccabi’s frustration continued.

But in the last minute of the five minutes added by the referee, Shechter crossed a ball into the area and Peretz rose high to head the ball in and win the game.