Maccabi Tel Aviv have completed the first phase of the season at the top of the TASE Premier League standings on 33 points after 10 wins and three draws. Last season, Vladimir Ivic’s charges also ended at the top with 33 points, although this time around the goal difference column shows an incredible 20-0 record, while last season it was 31-7.

This season’s first phase record is the club’s second-best ever and since the introduction of three points for a win in 1982-83. Only in 1993-94, after 13 matches, did the club accrue 37 points.

Prior to this season, the lowest number of conceded goals after 13 matches was three, achieved by Hapoel Haifa in 1998-99 and by Maccabi Haifa in 1969-70. Hapoel Yahud ended a first league phase of 13 matches and conceded four goals in 1977-78.

Maccabi have bettered their plus-20 goal difference on three previous occasions after the first phase: in 2018-19, 1995-96 and 1993-94. And on two occasions in the past have they achieved a 100 percent record in away matches in the first phase: 1993-94 and 1953-54.

Maccabi have involved 24 players in this season’s fixtures. Of those, only Daniel Tenenbaum, Eitan Tibi and Dan Glazer have played 13 full matches, 1,170 minutes.

Eight players have scored in the period, with Yonatan Cohen leading all others with five goals, Chico Ofoedu has scored four and Dor Micha three.

Ofoedu, who has been out injured recently, leads the club’s assists column with three, while Glazer, Eyal Golasa and Yonatan Cohen have two each.

Yonatan Cohen, who was not in the squad against Netanya, leads the league with shots on target, at 14, and is fourth in the list with nine telling passes.

Glazer leads the league with 97 tackles, 56 of them successful, and he is second for dispossessing the opposition in their half, with 22. Jair Amador is fourth in the league for total number of dispossessions, at 103.

Maccabi Tel Aviv defender Ofir Davidzada opened in a league game for the first time in several weeks on Saturday and said he felt great and that the competition for places in the club’s excellent lineup was tough.

“It was great to be back on the field today, a fantastic feeling. There is great competition for playing slots at Maccabi and it’s something you have to take into account. Enric Saborit is a great player and there is much competition for places between us in the lineup. When you get the chance to play you have to grab it with both hands and I hope I did so and proved to the coach that I deserved my selection,” he told Maccabi’s channel.

He said he had never played in a game where four goals had been disallowed but that was not an issue that should concern players.

“We should not dwell on refereeing decisions, we just need to get on with playing and look ahead,” he said after the goalless draw with Maccabi Netanya. 

“I think we played well, we were by far the better team and we had many chances but we needed just that little bit extra that was missing today for the win.”

Davidzada said that to have finished an entire league phase without conceding a goal is a “crazy achievement.”

“I’m pleased I have been able to be a part of it but much credit must go to the coach and the coaching staff, we have an excellent tactical lineup when you have players who are all at the same high level we can achieve so much more and long may our great form continue. I am also playing well and I’ll have to continue to work hard.”

Maccabi Tel Aviv completed the entire first phase of the TASE Premier League without conceding a goal on Saturday but the goalless draw at Bloomfield against Maccabi Netanya was disappointing as the hosts put the ball in the Netanya net four times but all were disallowed for various infringements.

Coach Vladimir Ivic gave his assessment after the final whistle and preferred to concentrate on the play, rather than the missed chances.

“I can only talk about the game. It was a good performance and we had many more chances to score than our opponents. They had good chances towards the end but I believe that we deserved more than a goalless draw.”

“We pushed hard and made every possible effort to score. We put the ball in the net four times but the goals were disallowed. Sometimes these things happen, and if you don’t score, you can’t win.”

Ivic said he had planned to include more players throughout and that they proved their worth. “I thought we would need lots of energy in this game. All those who played fought really hard, created chances and played well in defence. I really think this was a good game despite the fact that there were no goals.”

Maccabi Tel Aviv put the ball in the back of Maccabi Netanya’s net four times on Saturday but had nothing to show for their efforts as the final game of the TASE Premier League’s first phase ended in a goalless draw at Bloomfield.

Maccabi held most of the possession and were more dominant for most of the match, but Netanya managed to hold on against repeated attacks by the entire Tel Aviv lineup. 

With the goalless draw, none of Maccabi’s opponents have yet managed to score against the defending champions in the league this season and goalkeeper Daniel Tenenbaum kept his goalmouth shut for 12 consecutive games and for 1,263 minutes since he last conceded a goal in the 87th minute of the penultimate game of last season.

The game began with Netanya piling on early pressure and a good shot from Mohammed Zbidat that required Tenenbaum’s intervention but Maccabi soon picked up the pace and threatened Danny Amos’s goal.

Omer Atzili, who looked in red hot form, had a chance to score in the 13th minute and put the ball away in the 17th minute but it was ruled offside.

Further chances also failed to find the target and it was mainly one way traffic towards Netanya’s goal.

Shechter put the ball in the net in the 34th minute after an excellent sliding interception along the left byline by Atzili, who sent the ball to the striker in front of goal, but it was disallowed because Shechter committed a foul on Amos. 

Two minutes later, Eylon Almog broke free of the Netanya defence in the area and chipped Amos and again put the ball in the net but again the goal was annulled due to an infringement.

In the 51st minute, Atzili again put the ball in Netanya’s net but again the goal was disallowed because he had handled the ball while hurtling towards the goal.

Futher assaults later in the half were also thwarted, while Tenenbaum was tested twice by Netanya towards the end but he was equal to both attempts to finally score against him.

Wednesday’s return of the Tel Aviv Derby to Bloomfield was the sweetest welcome back possible for Maccabi and the 3-0 win for the away team over hosts Hapoel was the first victory over Hapoel since January, 2017 when we won 1-0. The last win at Bloomfield over our arch-rivals was also a 1-0 win, in October 2015.

Following this last victory, the unbeaten run over Hapoel has stretched to nine league games and one more Derby win will equal the all-time unbeaten match streak against Hapoel.

The 3-0 result was the 14th time that Maccabi have posted a margin of victory of at least three goals and it is the biggest away win since the memorable 4-0 result in November 1991. More recently, in 2016, Maccabi won 5-0 in a home Derby.

By not conceding in the match, Maccabi have now stretched their string of clean sheets since the start of the season to 12, and when including the end of last season, goalkeeper Daniel Tenenbaum has kept his goal shut tight for 1,173 minutes, although he had the goalpost to thank for keeping the ball out after he was well beaten by an excellent curling shot by Hapoel’s Omri Altman. If Tenenbaum can keep one more clean sheet on Saturday against Maccabi Netanya, Maccabi will have completed the entire first phase of the season with zero in the goals-against column.

Yonatan Cohen, who struck the second goal from the penalty spot, his first-ever league Derby goal (he did,  however, score in the 4-1 Toto Cup Derby win last season). He has now scored for the fourth consecutive match and his five goals overall this season place him at the top of the league scorers’ standings.

Young winger Eilon Almog was also thrilled by his showing. He scored the final goal in injury time on Wednesday and it was his first goal for Maccabi.

Coach Vladimir Ivic made an important selection choice for the match by picking Avi Rikan and Omer Atzili and it turned out to be a crucial decision as the two combined to score the first goal. An excellent pass by Atzili cut through the Hapoel defence and Rikan made no mistake with a great effort that curled past Ofer Gerafi in the Hapoel goal on 15 minutes.

It was Rikan’s first goal of the season after his return from injury, while Atzili notched his second assist in his second consecutive appearance. His last was in the 3-0 win over Hapoel Haifa.