Preview

Maccabi returned to Bloomfield stadium for the WINNER League MD15 early kickoff match against Maccabi Petah Tikva aiming to build on the victory over Hapoel Jerusalem. Zarko Lazetic’s side that currently have 30 points and are three adrift of leaders Hapoel Be’ersheva will be seeking their 10th victory of the campaign. Maccabi’s Serbian Head Coach made several changes from the side that won 3-2 at Teddy stadium with Tyrese Asante and Roy Revivo returning to the right-back and left-back positions. Stav Lemkin and Nemanja Stojic lined-up as the two central defenders to complete Maccabi’s back-four in front of goalkeeper Roi Mishpati. Joris van Overeem who scored his second goal for Maccabi in Jerusalem kept his place as the anchorman right behind Gabi Kanichowsky and Dor Peretz who led the team out with the captain’s armband. Osher Davida and Weslley Patati supplied the width in Lazetic’s formation while Dor Turgeman led the line aiming to add to his tally of 5 league goals and nine in all competitions.

Ofek Melika returned to the squad for the first time since suffering an ankle injury in training as the young keeper was named amongst the substitutes. Alongside Melika, Lazetic, named Idan Nachmias, Eran Zahavi, Raz Shlomo, Elad Madmon, Henry Addo, Ofir Davidzada, Issouf Sissokho and Ido Shahar.

Prior to kickoff Maccabi held a ceremony marking the contribution of Eyal Golasa to the club. Two more ceremonies were held in memory of former legendary Masseur Itzik Kameri who died at the age of 90, and former Maccabi Petah Tikva and Israel’s young national teams coach Moshe Meiri, the father of Maccabi’s board member Moran Meiri.

First Half

In what seemed to be the first attack of the game in the 5^th minute, Petah Tikva found themselves in front thanks to a goal by Vitaly Demascan who fired home Niv Yehoshua’s cross. Maccabi came close to level the score on 13 as an Osher Davida cross fell to Weslley Patati who failed to connect before Roy Revivo flashed a right-foot volley wide of the target.

Petah Tikva silenced Bloomfield stadium as the visitors doubled their lead after Damascan was given the time and space to send a powerful low drive that beat Mishpati from the edge of the area. In the 40th minute Maccabi’s claims for a penalty were waived by referee Ohad Asulin despite the fact a defender clearly pushed Dor Turgeman inside the area. Revivo reached the cross and headed straight at Petah Tikva’s keeper Marko Wolf. On the stroke of halftime Revivo was involved in then goal which cut the deficit and gave Maccabi a new lifeline. The left back carved Petah Tikva’s defense open with a through ball to release Gabi Kanichowsky. The diminutive midfielder sent a square ball into the path of Dor Peretz who slid in at the far post to edge the ball home and make it 2-1.

Second Half

With no changes after the interval, Maccabi emerged for the second half determined to grab an equalizer. Maccabi were back on level terms right on the hour mark as Patati scored directly from a corner and set Bloomfield alight. Three minutes later the comeback was complete as the 20,026 fans at Bloomfield who hardly recovered from the equalizer to celebrate the third. Kanichowsky sent a corner into the box before Peretz met the cross with a powerful header to score his second of the match and set the score on 3-2.

Minutes later Davida had the ball in the back of the Petah Tikva net once again, but the goal was disallowed for offside. Lazetic made a double substitution on 69 as Tyrese Asante and Dor Turgeman were replaced by Raz Shlomo and Eran Zahavi.

In the 86th minute Peretz bowed out to a standing ovation as he was replaced by Ido Shahar for the closing stages. Idan Nachmias replaced Stav Lemkin inside injury time as Lazetic made his fifth and final change. Joris van Overeem sent a Davida square ball over the crossbar deep inside injury time before Asulin blew the final whistle to end the contest. Attention will now turn for the league to the Toto Cup Final as Maccabi face Maccabi Haifa in Netanya on Wednesday for a match which will decide the fate of the second title this season.

Maccabi Tel Aviv and Maccabi Petah Tikva faced each other for 144 league encounters. Maccabi won 71, Petah Tikva won 33 while 40 matches ended in a draw with the total goalscoring tally currently stands on 231-132.

Fifty-five players featured for both clubs in the league with Ido Shahar is the only Maccabi player who played for Maccabi Petah Tikva.

Avi Nimni is Maccabi’s leading goal scorer against Maccabi Petah Tikva with Eran Zahavi and Rafi Levy are ranked second with 9 goals each.

Nimni made 26 appearances for maccabi against Petah Tikva including the final match of his career in the 2007/08 season, more than any other player.

Maccabi’s highest league victory over Petah Tikva (5-0) was recorded three times: 1957/58, 1982/83 and 1987/88.

Maccabi Petah Tikva missed 8 of 19 penalties they were awarded against Maccabi. Six spot kicks were saved by Maccabi’s keepers while 2 missed the target.

Saturday’s match will be Maccabi’s final league match of 2024 with the annual record currently standing on 42 victories, 18 draws and 15 defeats.

Maccabi are unbeaten on the final day of the calendar year (since the 2009/10 season) with 14 victories and a draw.

The highest league victory recorded on the final day of the calendar year was recorded twice. A 6-0 victory over Hapoel Ramat Gan was recorded in 1951 and a 6-0 victory over Bnei Yehuda in 1988.

“It is an amazing feeling” he said after scoring his first league goal and fifth in all competitions this season. “To score in the league and help the team is an amazing feeling. To score the 50th goal for Maccabi, the club I began my career is a landmark and I just hope that these goals continue to help the team.”

The 29-year-old Israeli international midfielder who is experience a busy schedule playing for club and country, added: “It is a challenging season with us playing in Europe and all the trips, flights and adjusting to play in two competitions. We are handling it well so far as our points ratio is not too bad but we must believe in ourselves in every game.”

On the race for the league title which this season appears to be a four-horse race, Peretz said: “All the teams are dropping points, they are all playing well at times, and sometimes not so well. We will try and progress on a game by game basis as this is our job. At the end of the day it all depends on arriving at every game fully focused so we could show our best form”.

Preview

Maccabi arrived at Teddy stadium ahead of the WINNER League MD14 match away to Hapoel Jerusalem which would open the second round. Following the two draws in the previous two matches against Hapoel Hadera and Hapoel Haifa, Maccabi are currently fourth in the table, level on points with Maccabi Haifa, but two behind Beitar Jerusalem and six adrift of leaders Hapoel Be’ersheva. Maccabi’s Head Coach, Zarko Lazetic, made several changes to his starting line-up. Roi Mishati, who saved an injury time penalty to secure a 2-1 victory over RFS Riga in the Europa League last week, started in goal. Nemanja Stojic, scorer of the winning goal in Belgrade on Thursday lined up alongside Stav Lemkin as the two central defenders in front of Mishpati, Idan Nachmias on the right and Sagiv Jehezkel on the left completed Maccabi’s defensive back-four. Issof Sissokho who made a substitute appearance against RFS, joined Joris van Overeem and Dor Peretz in midfield allowing Gabi Kanichowsky to rest on the bench. Weslley Patati who assisted twice against the Latvian side and Osher Davida suppied the width on both wings. Eran Zahavi led the line and the team out wearing the captain’s armband aiming to add to his four goals this season.

 

On the bench alongside goalkeeper Simon Sluga, Lazetic named Roy Revivo, Tyrese Asante, Dor Turgeman, Gabi Kanichowsky, Elad Madmon, Henry Addo, Hisham Layous and Ido Shahar.

First Half

Backed by around 4000 fans who arrived at Teddy stadium and offered their vocal support from the moment the players emerged from the warm-up. Two minutes from the start Idan Nachmias sent a cross into the area and Sagiv Jehezkel who ghosted behind Jerusalem’s defense at the far post, headed wide from close range. Shortly after it was Jehezkel again as Osher Davida released Dor Peretz down the right before the midfielder picked Jehezkel whose shot from the edge of the area was blocked by a defender. 

Jehezkel continued to look lively down the left as he dribbled into the area in the 20th minute before releasing a shot that struck the side netting. Eran Zahavi had his first sight on goal right on the half hour mark but his snap shot from the edge of the area was easily collected by Jerusalem’s keeper Nadav Zamir. Six minutes later Maccabi’s pressure paid off as Jerusalem’s defense struggled to clear the danger before the ball fell to Joris van Overeem. The midfielder who waited three years for his debut Maccabi goal, found the back of the net with a clever shot to score his second in six weeks. Zahavi came close to double Maccabi’s lead after Weslley Patati was fouled on the edge of the box. But the veteran marksman narrowly missed the target as he flashed his free kick to the wrong side of the post.

Second Half

Four minutes after the restart Jerusalem were back on level terms as Matan Hozez left two defenders behind before firing into the top corner. Patati tried restoring Maccabi’s lead with two shots in the space of two minutes but both his left and right foot efforts sailed high and wide. Lazetic reacted with a double substitution as he introduced Gabi Kanichowsky and Dor Turgeman for Zahavi and Sissokho in the 63rd minute.

The change paid off almost instantly as Nemanja Stojic won possession deep inside Jerusalem’s half before releasing the ball forward. A Turgeman shot struck the hand of Yonatan Laish before Sapir Berman pointed at the spot. Jehezkel stepped up and successfully converted the spot kick to restore Maccabi’s lead. Boosted by the goal Maccabi pushed forward and increased their lead on 69 as Davida charged down the right and squared to Peretz who tucked the ball home from point blank range for his first league goal this season and fifth in all competitions. Peretz bowed out to a awarding ovation as he was replaced in the 78th minute by Ido Shahar while Elad Madmon came on for Davida. Jerusalem cut the deficit in the ne 90th minute as Samba Diallo beat Roy Mishpati with a fierce low drive to make it 3-2. Inside injury time Lazetic made his fifth and final substitution as Henry Addo came on for Patati.