Category: News
Take a number: Golasa’s importance & Kjartansson’s streak
Maccabi Tel Aviv continued their three match winning streak in all competitions with a 1:0 victory over Hapoel Tel Aviv in the Big Derby. Right after the game we sat down to find out the most interesting facts and figures about their run of late.
Number one: Other than the match against Maccabi Haifa when he was substituted out after just 8 minutes when the contest was still goalless, Maccabi hasn’t lost any game that Eyal Golasa has been a part of.
Ticket Sales Bnei Sakhnin Home Match
Maccabi Tel Aviv will host Bnei Sahknin this coming Sunday January 22nd, 21:00 at the Netanya Stadium on Matchday 19 of the Ligat Ha’Al. Make sure to get your tickets and cheer on the Yellow & Blue! Tickets for Maccabi supporters are available in the following sections: Silver, E+, Lower & Upper West.
Please read the updated ticket guidelines
Please note:
Tickets are on sale via the Leaan Ticket Agency located at 101 Dizengoff Street, on their Website and by phone *8780
Tickets may be printed at home
Discounted tickets (Youth/Soldier/Women) are available by phone or at the Leaan Ticket Agency Office with ID
Ticket Prices
Silver Section
Leaan Ticket Agency Office – 400 NIS
Telephone/Internet – 405 NIS
E+
Leaan Ticket Agency Office – 200 NIS
Telephone/Internet – 205 NIS
Upper & Lower West Stands Sections
Leaan Ticket Agency Office – 100 NIS
Telephone/Internet – 105 NIS
Youth/Soldier/Women – 55 NIS (not available via the website)
Ticket Collection
Tickets may be collected at the Leaan Ticket Office located at 101 Dizengoff Street between Sunday-Thursday 09:00-19:00, Friday 09:00-13:30.
Tickets may be collected on Matchday at the Stadium ticket windows beginning 3 hours prior to the match until 45 minutes after the start of the match.
Tibi: “I’m happy we won the match”
Eitan Tibi, the Yellow & Blue central defender looked back at the Derby that his side win 1:0 thanks to a goal by Icelander Vidar Kjartansson. Number 18 talked about the injury he suffered during the match, looked ahead and expressed his satisfaction with the win:
“I’m happy we won the match because this was a very important game for us. We’ll continue going forward.”
The Derby is never an easy game:
“Everyone spoke about how this was going to be an easy match. We the players knew that it was not going to be that easy of a game. Like I always say, it’s better to win by a slim 1:0 margin than go home disappointed.”
Looking ahead:
“I think it’s important to continue on this path and to keep winning. I hope that’s exactly what we will do.”
Injury mid-match:
“I didn’t feel great right afterwards, but it was important for me to continue, be part of the match right until the end, win and I’m happy we finished it off the way we did.”
Kjartansson: “We’re going in the right direction”
וידאר קיארטנסון לאחר הניצחון בדרבי
The City’s Yellow & Blue: Photo album from the Derby win
Cruyff: “Without the fans we don’t win these games”
Jordi Cruyff, the Maccabi Tel Aviv Sports Director looked back at his side’s 1:0 Derby victory over Hapoel Tel Aviv at the Moshava Stadium on Matchday 18 of the Ligat Ha’Al. He spoke about the importance of the fans, the Starting XI and of course the game that was:
ג’ורדי קרוייף לאחר הניצחון בדרבי
“It’s important in football that when you have a bad game to now which to win and that’s what can make me a little bit happy today. Performance was not good and we didn’t dictate that game. We got into a physical battle and we lost easy possessions which I was not happy about.”
Another 5:0 win?
“The professionals knew immediately that it will not happen. They came with a fighting spirit and a clear tactic and of course the goal helped us a little bit but not as much as it should. We should have played with character and personality without the ball but I don’t think the team showed enough character on the ball.”
Transfers:
“We’re working on a lot of things and when it comes, it comes. I am in close contact with the owner. We have players that also have interest abroad for them so we can’t do the squad too early and have a problem after.”
Tal Ben Chaim’s status:
“We gave no intention to sell him u less something crazy happens.”
Nosa Igeibor:
“It’s obvious there has been some happy moments and some less happy but in the end he was with his teammates where he should be. I’ve always been very disappointed as how he has been treated by both the media and the fans. The reality is that coaches who are working at other clubs now really loved him, so somebody is seeing it wrong. I always believed in him and in the last few seasons he was a very good player.”
Last match as a coach:
“I hope so. But if we announce something I have to be very close as the new coach will come in the middle of the season and he needs to get to know the players and the Israeli league. It’s a process that all if us will help out with.”
About Omri Ben Harush:
“I’ve been happy with his training intensity and he will ave a chance like everyone else.”
Same Starting XI as was against Raanana:
“I wasn’t sure about it but I believe in changing a few players as it keeps the group alert and everyone hopeful for minutes. But with Hapoel going through changes we wanted to keep things the same as they had a good game together. In my football principles I like a big squad and to try and use most of them.”
The importance of the fans:
“I want to thank our fans a lot because they stood with the agreement that we wanted their support with no violence or racist chants, they stood by it and we are incredibly happy. Without the fans we don’t win these games.”
Maccabi takes the Derby 1:0 over Hapoel
The Yellow & Blue only needed one goal to pick up the Derby victory as Vidar Kjartansson headed home the winner in the 8th minute via a Ben Chaim cross as Maccabi will now prepare for a Matchday 19 contest against Bnei Sakhnin next Sunday evening at the Netanya Stadium.
Sports Director Jordi Cruyff’s Starting XI was the exact same lineup that featured against Hapoel Raanana last Matchday and included keeper Predrag Rajikovic in goal with a defensive corps of Eli Dasa, Eitan Tibi, Egor Filipenka and Avi Rikan. Captain Gal Alberman was in his usual defensive midfield position along with Eyal Golasa and Yossi Benayoun while Tal Ben Chaim, Barak Itzhaki and Vidar Kjartansson played in front.
Available on the bench were Daniel Lifshitz, Haris Medunjanin, Oscar Scarione, Dor Micha, Sagiv Yehezkel, Tal Ben Haim and Nosa Igiebor.
First Half
Maccabi looked to take an early lead and they did just that in the 8th minute when Ben Chaim superbly crossed the ball into the box right to Icelander Kjartansson who put it behind Ariel Harush for the quick 1:0 lead.
Three minutes later, Itzhaki found Benayoun but number 51’s effort sailed over the goal while Ben Chaim found Kjartansson again in the box, however the striker’s header just went wide left of the goal.
With Maccabi controlling the tempo of the contest, Itzhaki had a marvelous chance in the 26th minute but Harush was up to the task and parried the ball away to keep the score as is. Eight minutes later Ben Chaim came dashing into the box from the left side but his sharp angle effort was just pushed out for a corner kick. Seconds later Shachar Hirsch went the other way for Hapoel, however his individual effort missed the goal wide right as the ball scooted out or harm’s way.
Both sides would not have many chances over the final minutes of the half as the Yellow & Blue went into the break ahead 1:0 after 45 minutes of action.
Second Half
Maccabi’s first chance came in the 53rd minute when Rikan found Kjartansson once again in the box but his header was just off the mark. In the 65th minute Hapoel went downfield after a Maccabi miss, but Hirsch came up empty again for the Reds as Rajikovic was in place to make the stop.
Cruyff made his first two substitutions of the match in the 67th and 75th minutes introducing Haris Medunjanin and Dor Micha in favor of Itzhaki and Benayoun respectively. After a hard collision between Golasa and Ben Reichert, number 23 exited the game and Nosa Igiebor entered in the 82nd minute.
Following 6 minutes of added time, Maccabi closed out the victory and collected three points as look ahead to next week’s Matchday 19 encounter against Bnei Sakhnin at the Netanya Stadium.
Kartzev scores brace for Israel in 4:0 win
The Under-17 Israel National Team is participating in a tournament in Belarus that began play today. Gadi Brumer’s side defeated Georgia 4:0 as Maccabi’s Eden Kartzev scored a brace. Even though Kartzev is playing with the Under-17 due to his age, he is part of Maccabi’s Under-19 squad.
Guy Dahan gave the Blue & White a 1:0 lead in the 13th minute while Kartzev scored his first of two 14 minutes later after taking advantage of a Georgian defensive mistake. In the 53rd minute, the Yellow & Blue midfielder scored his second of the contest from 14 meters out. With 20 minutes remaining in the match, Nasir Magduv scored Israel’s fourth goal. Tomorrow, the Blue & While will face their Ukrainian counterparts.
Other than Kartzev, Maccabi’s Daniel Peretz, Alon Strosberg, Amit Glazer, Tomer Machlof and Eyal Hen are also part of the squad.
