Maccabi Tel Aviv registered perhaps one of their greatest ever league wins on Monday in the  4-3 victory over Maccabi Haifa at Sammy Ofer Stadium and Yonatan Cohen scored the winning goal in the third minute of injury time after earlier netting from his own rebounding penalty. He was in raptures after the final whistle.

“I just have no words to describe the feeling after this win,” he said as he celebrated with his teammates and some of the Tel Aviv crowd in the stands. 

“I saw in their eyes they were with me in the frenzy of victory,” he said.

“I just hope that I will be able to experience such a feeling again in the future. I dedicate this win to the fans and am so happy that I was able to help the club to victory,” he said.

Cohen did not think his performance was his best, although he said he was so happy to win. It was a tough challenge to play against an excellent club, he added.

“It’s not easy to play against Haifa’s crowd but we do realise that we have emerged victorious and have taken the three points.

“Our team spirit was evident throughout. It’s difficult to stomach conceding three goals and we will have to work on that, but the entire team has brought us to victory,” Cohen said.

He dismissed comparisons some are making between him and former Maccabi ace striker Eran Zahavi.

“Eran is an amazing player and I really like him, but I’m Yonatan Cohen and I play my own game.”  

Maccabi Tel Aviv emerged victorious from one of the most thrilling matches seen in the Israeli league in recent years but the 4-3 win on Monday over their closest rivals, Maccabi Haifa, was only confirmed in the fourth minute of injury time when in-form Yonatan Cohen sealed a thrilling victory.

“It was a fantastic night of football and it was great for the players, and particularly for the crowd,” Ivic said.

“It was a very open game, we created more chances in the first half and I believe we deserved to win this game because we were the better team. We controlled the game from the outset, they managed to come back to 2-2 as we lost confidence, but the fact that we came back and led twice more proves that we are a team with character that will fight all the way to the end in order to achieve victory. There is no doubt that our strong mentality was a component in this win,” the coach added.

Ivic, who is usually very reserved, celebrated the win and said: “It was a very important game and it’s natural that I should be happy, just as I was when we scored the winning goal at the end.”

Ivic added that the result was proof that the team would always persevere and play to win no matter how long it takes, but he said it was still too early to celebrate another league championship.

“We still have many more games ahead of us in order to ensure the title,” the Serbian coach concluded.

 

Maccabi Tel Aviv showed their championship pedigree in one of the great domestic league games in Israeli football history on Monday.

The match had everything, a 15-minute delay before the game as ticker-tape from sections of the ground immersed one half of the pitch, as these two heavyweights slugged it out in front of 29,000 fans at Sammy Ofer Stadium. 

Tel Aviv got out of the blocks quickly and were well on top after a rousing first-half which saw Avi Rikan finish in style after good work on the right from Itay Shechter. And just three minutes after the break when Eyal Golasa doubled the lead with a sublime first-touch finish from Andre Geraldes’s cross.  

But nobody expected the drama that would then unfold. Inside two minutes, Haifa were level with a brace of goals, both of which will surely make the shortlist for goal of the season. In the 60th minute, Nikita Rukavytsya struck a powerful volley from the edge of the box and with a resurgent home behind them, substitute Yanic Wildschut placed a perfectly weighted volley out of the reach of Daniel Tenebaum.

And there was further drama to come in the 63rd minute after referee Liran Liani awarded Tel Aviv a VAR penalty decision a minute after a handball from Tjaron Shery. 

Yonathan Cohen’s spot kick was saved by Josh Cohen but the ball fell kindly for Cohen to slot the rebound home. Haifa responded with a wave of attacks and two minutes from time Muhammad Awad brought Haifa level with a close-range effort. And Awad could have won the game for Haifa with a one-on-one with Tenebaum but hit the shot wide. 

But this game was a high roller and Maccabi hit the jackpot in the third minute of injury time with a beautiful finish from Cohen after a pin-point cross from Omer Atzili.

Monday night’s clash at Sammy Ofer Stadium between Maccabi Haifa and Maccabi Tel Aviv (kickoff 20:15) brings together second against first in the TASE Premier League, a fixture that has often been dubbed as a “Match of the Season” or the “Israeli Classico.” The statistics over many years certainly back this up.

The two outfits are Israel’s most successful clubs and have won most championships (Maccabi Tel Aviv with 23 and Maccabi Haifa on 12). The meeting between them is also the most played among Israeli teams (160 matches).

The record between the clubs stands at 65 wins for Tel Aviv, 47 draws and 48 wins for Haifa and the goal difference favours Tel Aviv at 228-198.

The two have also played in European club competitions more than any other Israeli teams (Tel Aviv 20 times and Haifa 18) and each has participated in the Champions’ League group stage twice.

Over the years, the two clubs have sent the most representatives to the national team: 18 percent of national team players from Tel Aviv and 15 percent from Haifa.

Since the 2013-14 season, the scales have tipped markedly in favour of Tel Aviv, who have had 16 wins, six draws and only one defeat, but will that momentum be maintained?

Since the 1-1 draw between the two clubs in the 35th and penultimate round of action last season, Maccabi Tel Aviv have notched nine consecutive away wins in the league. It is the second-longest run for Maccabi, but is still well behind their own best run of 19 consecutive away wins, registered in 1952.

Maccabi’s last away defeat was the 3-2 loss to Beitar Jerusalem at Teddy Stadium in April 2018 and if they don’t lose on Monday, they will equal the all-time record of 30 consecutive away matches without defeat which was set by Maccabi Haifa in 1995.

Proportionately, Maccabi’s record at Sammy Ofer Stadium against all clubs is the best of any Israeli outfit. There have been a total of 188 league matches played at the stadium since it opened in 2014 and of the 18 clubs who have played there, Maccabi’s record stands at 61 percent (eight wins, seven draws and two defeats). Maccabi Haifa, who have played 100 matches at their home ground, are only sixth in the success rate rankings, at 53 percent.

Maccabi’s success rate against Maccabi Haifa at Sammy Ofer is even better, and stands at 70 percent (five wins, four draws and no defeats).

Over the years, the fixture between the two clubs has accrued the highest aggregate attendance for any Israeli match. It currently stands at 1,993,000 spectators, and the two-million mark is certain to be broken on Monday.

Indeed, the two Israeli league matches with the highest attendance ever recorded were between Maccabi Tel Aviv and Maccabi Haifa in 1993. Both were played at Ramat Gan Stadium and both ended in 1-1 draws.

The two clubs also lead all others in attendances this season, Tel Aviv with an average of 22,620 and Haifa on 21,140 spectators per game.

Regardless of the result on Monday, both clubs will retain the top two places in the league in the 17th round and this last happened between the two clubs in 1993-94. Both have also shared the two top spots in the 17th round two other times, in 1966-68 (double season) and in 1969-70. In all three cases, the team in first place always went on to win the league. The first two times it was Tel Aviv’s crown, and in 1993-94, Haifa won the league.

Both clubs are looking strong and for the first time since 2009-10, they have amassed at least a 77 percent success rate as the leading clubs. Maccabi are currently on 83 percent, Haifa are on 77 percent.

Maccabi Tel Aviv midfielder Dan Glazer is hoping to be in the fray for the Israeli “classico” on Monday and although he’s faced Maccabi Haifa before, this meeting has an added significance, with the in-form opposition hot on Maccabi’s heels in second place in the standings just three points off the pace.

 

 

Glazer sounded assured as he spoke to us on the morning of the match.

“We enter the game with confidence, we come in to the clash after two games in which we played really well and won impressively. I think we are ready, we have been prepared well by the training staff,” he said in a conference call. “I think the record shows that we are hungrier for this game than our opponents.”

The anticipation of playing against major opposition in a crucial game was generating positive energy, Glazer said. 

“We are usually much more vigilant for big games, the team which will be more aggressive will control the game and that will be the difference. Both teams are of similar quality but a good start will be important, it always is in this sort of game,” he predicted.

“I respect every player in the league, particularly Maccabi Haifa players who have shown their class this season. We know that we will have a very difficult game against them, particularly in defence and midfield and we will have to back each other up. We will need to impress on our opponents that we want this game more than they do.”

Glazer praised the hard work and methods of coach Vladimir Ivic and credited him with Maccabi’s successes this season.

“The team that Ivic has prepared has the entire team defending and helping the defensive unit to ensure they are able to do their job as best as possible.

He has shaped us all so that we are able to play so well defensively.”

Before rushing off to join his teammates as they make their final preparations, Glazer exuded confidence and professionalism.

“This game is no different to any other, 22 players will be working hard to get a result for their own team but I am certain in our ability to prevail. Our loss to Umm El Fahm was a momentary lapse but we have been training hard ever since and we are battling each other to gain our place in the lineup as we have a big squad and everybody wants to play.”

In-form Maccabi Tel Aviv midfielder Avi Rikan spoke to reporters ahead if Monday’s big TASE Premier League clash between the league leaders and Maccabi Haifa, who are in second place in the standings, three points behind and said he was confident of a good result and a great occasion.

“We are feeling good, everything is in place and we want to win tomorrow. I am happy that I have been given a chance to prove myself and I want to succeed.

“Tomorrow will be a tactical challenge. The opening minutes will be important for both teams and Sammy Ofer stadium will be a great place for each side to test out the opposition.”

He said that there was every reason to think the match would be a memorable occasion, although regardless of the result, with so much of the season still remaining, even a win and a six-point gap at the top did not guarantee anything.

“Both clubs are in good form and many players are in good shape. The forwards and midfield work hard to help out the defenders. The midfield will be important to win the ball and we will need to be ready.”

“We want to take three points from the game. It will be a big stage and we want to be part of the occasion, but it is just three more points. Tomorrow’s game is very significant although we can’t be sure what will happen further down the line, we may lead by six points if we win but it does not guarantee anything for us.”

Rikan could not explain why Maccabi had been stronger in away fixtures than at home, although he did not think it made much of a difference for such a dominant club.

“It’s hard to say why we have dropped points at home. Bloomfield is an important place for us but we always want to win, no matter where we play.

“There is definitely a stir before the game, it will be good to be a part of this game but I’ll wait to see tomorrow’s lineup to see if I’m even included. It’s important for me to be a presence on the field, even if I don’t score or give assists, the club is very important to me and I’m working very hard.”