Maccabi return to league action from the international break with a top of the table clash away to leaders Hapoel Be’ersheva on Monday. Zarko Lazetic’s side beat Be’ersheva 1-0 when both sides met at Bloomfield earlier this season and were held to a 2-2 draw at the corresponding fixture at Turner. Maccabi are currently on 60 points at second place with the best away record in the league, one point adrift of Be’ersheva who are unbeaten at home.     

Gabi Kanichowsky, who faced the media for the pre-match press conference spoke of the importance of the match in the context of the title race. “It is a key match, but there are several matches still left to play. Be’ersheva must still travel and play us at home. Obviously, we would like to be top, so it will be a very good and interesting match.” The 27-year-old midfielder who was left out of Israel’s squad that played Estonia and Norway and enjoyed some time off during the international break, reflected: “We are used to this, it happens every year, there is plenty of motivation when you receive a week off. You return hungrier as we are facing the final run-in, so this holiday is good. It is a key match and everyone is excited.”

Kanichowsky who played 185 matches for Maccabi in all competitions and has won several trophies at Maccabi, rejected claims that the hunger is something exclusive for his teams’ opponents: “I am just as excited as I was last season and even hungrier than last season despite winning the league title together with several players here. You want to win the championship in every year and this season is no different. I am sure the other side also wish to do so as well. We are experienced and know to deal with crucial matches, but it will be tough, and we must come prepared.”

Kanichowsky remained with his feet firmly on the ground as he added: “Be’ersheva were top spot until now and deserve a lot of credit, while we were competing in Europe, yet the gap remained minimal, so we also deserve some respect. We know that people tend to disrespect Maccabi Tel Aviv, but we also know what we are worth. Tomorrow, we want to just turn it around.”

Kanichowsky, who this season scored 3 and assisted 12 more goals in 40 appearances in comparison to 11 and 11 in 53 matches during the previous campaign, reflected: “What I am contributing to this team is just like last season if not more. The media tends to look at the numbers, it is there given right but I am focused on my own game and know what I am worth. I think that the coach also knows what I am worth, so I am ok with that.”

Maccabi return to league action from the international break with a top of the table clash away to leaders Hapoel Be’ersheva on Monday. Zarko Lazetic’s side beat Be’ersheva 1-0 when both sides met at Bloomfield earlier this season and were held to a 2-2 draw at the corresponding fixture at Turner. Maccabi are currently on 60 points at second place with the best away record in the league, one point adrift of Be’ersheva who are unbeaten at home.     

 

Gabi Kanichowsky, who faced the media for the pre-match press conference spoke of the importance of the match in the context of the title race. “It is a key match, but there are several matches still left to play. Be’ersheva must still travel and play us at home. Obviously, we would like to be top, so it will be a very good and interesting match.” The 27-year-old midfielder who was left out of Israel’s squad that played Estonia and Norway and enjoyed some time off during the international break, reflected: “We are used to this, it happens every year, there is plenty of motivation when you receive a week off. You return hungrier as we are facing the final run-in, so this holiday is good. It is a key match and everyone is excited.”

Kanichowsky who played 185 matches for Maccabi in all competitions and has won several trophies at Maccabi, rejected claims that the hunger is something exclusive for his teams’ opponents: “I am just as excited as I was last season and even hungrier than last season despite winning the league title together with several players here. You want to win the championship in every year and this season is no different. I am sure the other side also wish to do so as well. We are experienced and know to deal with crucial matches, but it will be tough, and we must come prepared.”

Kanichowsky remained with his feet firmly on the ground as he added: “Be’ersheva were top spot until now and deserve a lot of credit, while we were competing in Europe, yet the gap remained minimal, so we also deserve some respect. We know that people tend to disrespect Maccabi Tel Aviv, but we also know what we are worth. Tomorrow, we want to just turn it around.”

Kanichowsky, who this season scored 3 and assisted 12 more goals in 40 appearances in comparison to 11 and 11 in 53 matches during the previous campaign, reflected: “What I am contributing to this team is just like last season if not more. The media tends to look at the numbers, it is there given right but I am focused on my own game and know what I am worth. I think that the coach also knows what I am worth, so I am ok with that.”

 

 

Dor Turgeman marked his 8^th international appearance for Israel with a debut goal but that was only a consolation in a 4-2 defeat to Norway at a World Cup qualifier in Debrecen Hungary. Turgeman, who started the match alongside fellow teammates Dor Peretz, Raz Shlomo and Idan Nachmias scored deep inside injury time following an assist by former Maccabi midfielder Oscar Gloukh. Roy Revivo was introduced at halftime which saw Israel score an equalizer, but former Maccabi keeper Daniel Peretz conceded three more goals before Turgeman cut the deficit.

Earlier in the week, Revivo, Shlomo and Nachmias started and Peretz came off the bench as Israel began their World Cup qualifying campaign with a 2-1 victory over Estonia at Debrecen’s Nagyerdei Stadium.

Goalkeeper Ofek Melika played the full 90 minutes while Elad Madmon featured for 61 minutes as Israel’s U21’s suffered a 3-1 friendly defeat to Cyprus.

Tyrese Asante played 90 minutes for the Netherlands U23 side that beat their Italian counterparts 2-1 in a friendly which was played at the Pier Luigi Penzo stadium in Venezia on March 21st. The 22-year-old defender then assisted the Netherlands’ opener and played 61 minutes in a 2-0 friendly victory away to Romania on March 25^th.

 

Ido Shahar made a second half substitute appearance against Hapoel Haifa at Bloomfield and with his first touch of the game scored his second league goal and fourth in all competitions this season.

The 23-year-old midfielder who was denied a second goal in the space of three minutes said shortly after the match: “I am angry I didn’t end up scoring a brace as I should have scored that one.”

Shahar, whose recent goal was in the 2-1 State Cup defeat to Bnei Reineh in January, reflected on what happened before the match: “I waited a while for this moment, and I am happy. But before all that, what happened with Emily Damari before kickoff was mad. It gave us energies as everyone had shivers and felt something I don’t think we ever experienced. We were all delighted that Emily and Romi (Gonen) were both here with us as we dedicate the victory to Emily”

“The atmosphere was intense, and Roy Revivo said that before me but I really think that the opening goal belongs to her. We started the match with so much energy, in some sort of a blitz and I really believe it helped us win.”

On Maccabi winning their third successive league match for the first time since MD3, Shahar said: “It is a bit of a strange season then previous seasons as there are more team competing for the title so obviously the top spots collect less points. Playing in Europe didn’t play either, but we are still in the race and come to win every match:”.

Preview

A week after beating Hapoel Haifa 2-0 on the final day of the regular season, Maccabi returned to Bloomfield stadium for the MD27 WINNER League match against the same opponents to begin the Playoff round.

Even before the team entered the stadium, Zarko Lazetic’s side discovered their gap from the top was increased to four points after Hapoel Be’ersheva won the early kickoff match against Maccabi Netanya by 2-0.

With that in mind, Maccabi’s aim will be to leave for the international break with a victory and restore the gap to a point before facing Be’ersheva for a top of the table clash at Turner.

Lazetic was forced to shuffle his side as he was missing Raz Shlomo, Dor Peretz and Elad Madmon who all served a one-match-touchline ban while Weslley Patati was nursing an ankle injury. Idan Nachmias returned to the side and partnered Tyrese Asante and Nemanja Stojic as three central defenders in front of goalkeeper Simon Sluga. Roy Revivo as a left wing-back and Osher Davida on the right supplied the width to Maccabi’s formation. Issouf Sissokho and Joris van Overeem were assigned to the engine room with Gabi Kanichowsky completing the midfield trio in a more attacking role. Dor Turgeman and Eran Zahavi led Maccabi’s attack in charge of scoring the goals which could lead to a second victory over Hapoel Haifa in one week.

On the bench Lazetic welcomed back Sagiv Jehezkel who was named in the squad for the first time since recovering from the ankle injury which sidelined him since January 4th. Jehezkel was named amongst the substitutes together with goalkeeper Roi Mishpati, Avishay Cohen, Stav Lemkin, Yonas Malede, Henry Addo, Ofir Davidzada, Hisham Layous and Ido Shahar.

Prior to kick-off an emotional ceremony took place where Emily Damari who was released from captivity in January was presented with her shirt on his first return to Bloomfield. Damari was accompanied by Romi Gonen, a Hapoel Haifa fan who was also released from captivity and was presented with a shirt of her beloved team.

First Half

The pre-match ceremony saw Emily Damari address the crowd in a plea to keep fighting for the release of all the hostages and in particular fellow Kfar Aza kibbutzniks and Maccabi fans; Gali & Zivi Berman didn’t leave a single eye dry. When Damari then continued with the microphone to chant one of Maccabi’s famous chants, the entire stadium was bouncing. Maccabi’s reaction on the pitch to the atmosphere created by Damari was almost instant as Zarko Lazetic’s side dominated right from the start. A Roy Revivo cut back in the seventh minute was cleared by Haifa’s defense reached Gabi Kanichowsky who chested the ball down for Issouf Sissokho on the edge of the area.

The Mali midfielder pulled the trigger and sent a right foot drive which Yoav Gerafi couldn’t hold onto. Osher Davida pounced on the loose ball and sent the rebound between the legs of Gerafi to break the deadlock. Eran Zahavi came close to double the score in the 13th minute as the veteran striker who started upfront alongside Dior Turgeman rose high to meet Davida’s free kick but guided his header onto the roof of the net

In the 24th minute Turgeman’s defensive skills saw the young forward deny the visitors an equalizer from a corner as he headed off his goal-line with Simon Sluga beaten. Five minutes after the half hour mark at the opposite end Roy Revivo doubled the score as he rose at the far post to head in Kanichowsky’s corner. Four minutes later Tyrese Asante dribbled past three defenders before carving Haifa’s defense to release Turgeman. The 21-year-old striker burst forward and fired a shot which beat Gerafi but narrowly cleared the crossbar.

On the brink of halftime Thiemoko Diarra was booked by referee Sapir Berman for a foul on Zahavi near the corner of Maccabi’s penalty box. But VAR intervened and called Berman to the screen as the initial yellow card was changed to red leaving Haifa with 10 men.

Second Half

Haifa’s coach Ronny Levy made two changes after the restart as he introduced Liran Serdal and George Diba for Anis Porat Ayash and Aboubacar Doumbia. But within a minute Levy lost his second player to a red card leaving the visitors to fight with nine men for the rest of the game.

Zahavi stole a ball on the edge of Haifa’s area before Dramane Salou slid in with a tackle and was initially booked. Once again VAR called Berman to the screen and the card was changed to red.

Sissokho drilled a powerful drive which narrowly missed the target in the 58th minute before Lazetic made a double substitution introducing Ido Shahar and Henry Addo for Joris van Overeem and Davida. A minute later and with his first touch Shahar increased Maccabi’s lead as the diminutive midfielder side-footed home Turgeman’s square ball to make it 3-0 on the hour mark.

Shahar came close to score a second three minutes later as he reacted first to a Gerafi save from a Kanichowsky shot. But Haifa’s keeper managed to deny the 23-year-old from scoring Maccabi’s fourth. In the 67th minute Sagiv Jehezkel made his first appearance since the beginning of January as he replaced Nemanja Stojic.

Addo had the ball in the back of Gerafi’s net in the 72nd minute but the referee assistant raised his flag and even a long review by the VAR didn’t help award the Ghanian with a goal. In the 81st minute Gerafi was at full stretch to deny Turgeman after he was released by Kanichowsky. This was Kanichowsky’s final contribution on the night as he bowed out to a standing ovation together with Revivo as Lazetic introduced Ofir Davidzada and Younas Malede.

The full-time whistle confirmed Maccabi’s victory and the gap at the top from Be’ersheva reduced back to a point before the two sides meet at Turner on March 31^st.