Category: News
Looking back: The last league game against Beitar
Feet back on terra firma as Maccabi get ready to face Beitar
Maccabi v. Beitar in FIFA-20 challenge
Maccabi Tel Aviv host Beitar Jerusalem at Sammy Ofer Stadium in the featured match this week of the TASE Premier League on Monday at 20:15, but before that intriguing clash, expert players of the FIFA video game, Dor and Or Aligula representing Maccabi, challenged Beitar gamers to an on-screen FIFA-20 match at the Hisense store in Tel Aviv. The game can be seen live on this link.
The numbers that tell the story of meetings against Beitar
Over many years, there have been 125 league meetings between Maccabi Tel Aviv and Beitar Jerusalem and Maccabi hold the upper hand, having won 51 times. Beitar have won on 38 occasions and 36 matches have ended in a draw. The goal difference is 178-133 in favour of Maccabi.
Maccabi, on 43 points after 17 matches, lead the league from second-placed Maccabi Haifa by six points and Beitar are in third place, four points further adrift, ten points off the pace.
This will be the second time that Maccabi host Beitar at Sammy Ofer Stadium in the league, the last time was in 2014-15. They have hosted their rivals 37 times at Bloomfield, 14 times at Ramat Gan, six in Netanya and once each at Basa and the Maccabiah Stadium, venues that no longer exist.
Maccabi have beaten Beitar in their last four league meetings and another win will equal the record run of five consecutive wins achieved in January, 2011. Beitar, however, beat Maccabi 2-0 last September to win the Toto Cup final.
Maccabi’s biggest win was the 7-0 drubbing in the 2000-01 season when Rodrigo Goldberg and Avi Nimni each scored twice and Dedi Ben Dayan, Guy Tzarfati and Bruch Dego added the other goals. That was also equalled Beitar’s worst-ever league defeat, which the Jerusalem club suffered in 1955-56 when they were beaten by Hapoel Kiryat Haim in a second division clash.
The first phase 4-0 win this season saw Ruslan Barsky score his inaugural goal for Maccabi to seal the scoreline and he was the last of 11 other Maccabi players to score their debut goal for the club. Last before Barsky to achieve the feat was Eran Zahavi, in March 2013.
Maccabi conceded a penalty in the 4-0 win which was saved by Daniel Tenenbaum and it is the only spot kick that has been awarded against the league leaders so far this season. In the past three seasons, Maccabi have conceded six penalties but only one has been converted directly. Two goals have come off a rebound and three have been saved.
At least 64 players have turned out for both clubs over the years and of the current squad, four players have previously been on Beitar’s books: Omer Atzili, Itay Shechter, Avi Rikan and Eitan Tibi.
Avi Nimni has made most appearances for Maccabi against Beitar and he has scored 15 goals against them.
Maccabi have scored a 90th minute winner only once in the past, when Eran Zahavi struck for 3-2 in the 2015-16 season, when he broke the all-time season scoring record that had stood for 61 years.
Golasa: Game should provide a great spectacle for fans
Leaders Maccabi Tel Aviv will attempt to continue their fine run in the TASE Premier League on Monday against Beitar Jerusalem (kickoff 20:15) and midfielder Eyal Golasa spoke about his own form and the club’s hopes for the game ahead.
Golasa said he was fully fit for the game and said there was no reason to be concerned. “Everything is fine, it’s all good,” he said.
Sammy Ofer has been chosen as an alternate home venue because the IFA disciplinary court slapped Maccabi with a one-game radius punishment for fan trouble at the Tel Aviv Derby. The venue has proven a happy hunting ground for the club and last week’s 4-3 away win over Maccabi Haifa was clear proof of this.
“The atmosphere at Sammy Ofer is excellent and we like to play there, although we would prefer to play at home,” Golasa said. “We will be prepared just as we were against Maccabi Haifa and the coaching staff have readied us for the task ahead.”
But he warned of a tough match against a side that beat Maccabi in the Toto Cup final.
“We will have to be ready for Beitar and we have looked at their key players, it’s no secret that they are great players,” Golasa said.
The midfielder’s contract up for renewal in the summer and although he didn’t want to go into details, he said he would love to remain at the club.
“Of course I want to continue at a great club like Maccabi,” he said.
Ivic: Beitar are a quality side, they will be tough to beat
Youth Academy results this weekend
Hapoel Beersheba 1, Maccabi Tel Aviv “Shahar” 1: Maccabi Tel Aviv “Shahar”, the club’s under-19 outfit held most of the possession in their away clash against Hapoel Beersheba on Saturday but were unable to convert their advantage into victory and ended their league clash in a 1-1 draw.
Maccabi, placed third in their division, scored in the 15th minute when Tal Torgeman chipped the Beersheba keeper after receiving an excellent through ball from Shai Balhassen. But the lead lasted until seconds before halftime when Maccabi goalkeeper Ben Musayof was adjudged to have fouled a Beersheba player in the area and the hosts converted the resulting penalty taken by Netanel Askias.
Hapoel Tel Aviv 2, Maccabi Tel Aviv “Oded” 1: U17 could not continue their good away win over Beitar Jerusalem and were knocked out of the State Cup by city arch-rivals Hapoel in the third round. Hapoel took the lead in the ninth minute, Elad Kaplan equalised in the 23rd but Hapoel scored the winner in the 53rd minute to advance to the fourth round.
Maccabi Amishav Petah Tikva 0, Maccabi Tel Aviv “Eli Fuchs” 8: U16 were overwhelming winners with Lior Aloni, Oscar Gloch, and Matan Jerozolimski each scoring two goals and Ido Mizrahi and Natan Buzaglo adding one apiece.
Hapoel Raanana 0, Maccabi Tel Aviv “Eldad” 11: U15 maintained their positive momentum from the league with a whopping win. Osher Bruchim scored four goals, Nikita Alexienko scored twice and Maor Ben Nun, Ron Rabinovich, Agam Hanoun, Omer Dinar and Liad Barda added the others.
Youth team in 1-1 draw with Beersheba
Maccabi Tel Aviv “Shahar”, the club’s under-19 outfit held most of the possession in their away clash against Hapoel Beersheba on Saturday but were unable to convert their advantage into victory and ended their league clash in a 1-1 draw.
Maccabi, placed third in their division, scored in the 15th minute when Tal Torgeman chipped the Beersheba keeper after receiving an excellent through ball from Shai Balhassen.
But the lead lasted until seconds before halftime when Maccabi goalkeeper Ben Musayof was adjudged to have fouled a Beersheba player in the area and the hosts converted the resulting penalty taken by Netanel Askias.
Maccabi’s players had almost all the chances to score in the second half but were unable to convert at least a handful of decent chances.
Maccabi’s lineup: Ben Musayof, Guy Itzhaki, Mikel Mor, Itay Ben Hemo, Rotem Yatzkar, Nov Berkovitz, (Afek Sapir Navot, 61), Shai Balhassen (Or Roizman, 82), Asaf Hershko (Nadav Nidam, 85), Tal Torgeman (Shaked Navon, 72), Parfait Guiagon, Ronen Hanchis.
Maccabi bonus: FOREVER members meet Moran Meiri
Maccabi Tel Aviv launched its FOREVER supporters’ club this summer which promised to deliver premium content to loyal fans and Thursday brought another opportunity for an exclusive event at the Talkhouse in Tel Aviv.
Some 150 FOREVER members turned out for the event which turned out to be a particularly “yellow and blue” evening and received chaser glasses with the club’s logo as a memento.
Moran Meiri, an attorney with expertise in sports law gave some fascinating insights into legal issues concerning soccer and particularly the club such as the Ben Reichart case and the expulsion of Predrag Raijkovic in Sakhnin.
It was followed by a Q&A session with current club players Dor Peretz and Dan Glazer, who spoke about a number of issues that affect them.
