Yellow-and-Blue striker Eden Ben Basat featured up front for Maccabi Tel Aviv against Netanya and completed 90 minutes of play in a 2:1 victory at Bloomfield Stadium just before the league goes on a break. Number 9 spoke about the importance of the time off along with winning matches and gaining points:

“It’s important to take the three points before the break, one that we really need after a lot of matches. Now it’s time for some rest.”

On playing a different opponent every few days:

 “Every three days over the past month we’ve been preparing for a different match and we had a ton of games even for a deep squad like ours. The break is coming at a good time.”

The club has won two matches in a row:

“It’s very important that we won especially to continue collecting points but of course we want to look and play better on the pitch. I hope that the time off will give us renewed strength going forward and our play will continue to improve.”

Playing more consistently:

“I’ve been playing more minutes and because of that I continue to improve. Of course I expect more from myself, be it scoring goals or assisting on others. But most importantly we’re winning and I’m part of it.”

The most important factor that can be taken away from the unconvincing 2:1 victory over Maccabi Netanya was that Maccabi Tel Aviv collected three points and go into the international break with a chance to rest up and prepare for the next phase of the season.

Midfielder Dor Peretz who assisted on Tal Ben Chaim’s goal spoke about the match and didn’t look for any excuses: “I don’t think there was any specific reason as to why we didn’t play well. There’s nothing that can justify our performance. We’re happy that we won even though the match wasn’t one of our best.”

About the last few matches:

“We may have lost in the Champions League, but we’ve won two straight league games including the Derby against Hapoel. We have to raise the level of our play a bit more as we are going through a rough stretch right now and we expect to play better than we have been.”

On the upcoming break:

“The break is coming at a good time and we’ll come back even stronger. We’re definitely tired. Playing three matches in a week is not something that Israeli players are used to and we’re not used to it as well. But I want to be clear that even though we are playing many matches we still need to be playing better than we are and having so many games shouldn’t have any effect on us.”

The Yellow-and-Blue defeated Maccabi Netanya 2:1 at Bloomfield right before the international break that will see Maccabi returning to action in two weeks. Slavisa Jokanovic, Tel Aviv’s head coach spoke to the assembled press following the win:

“I’m not sure why we would play right away after having a Champions League match. Other teams didn’t play today, why did we have to? We have many players on our squad who play on the Israel National Team and were going to play more than 50 games, why isn’t anyone helping us?”

About the match:

“Netanya played better football than us and it’s my responsibility and the players responsibility to play better. The points are good but I can’t be happy. I don’t believe our fans enjoyed the game and the positive thing was collecting the points.”

On Maccabi’s play:

“We’re not playing well right now, and anywhere in the world when this happens it’s the coach’s responsibility. We can’t be happy with this type of play. We need to rest and take a break. We’ve seen a number of times over the last few months that we can play much better. This is not the type of football I want to see.”

Maccabi Tel Aviv Head Coach Slavisa Jokanovic started the young Serbian keeper Predrag Rajkovic in goal with Yuval Shpungin, Tal Ben Haim, Carlos Garcia and Omri Ben Harush playing in front of him. Gal Alberman, Dor Peretz and Nikola Mitrovic manned the midfield and Tal Ben Chaim was up front along with Eden Ben Basat and captain Eran Zahavi.

The match started off with a bang as Netanya’s Andrii Mishchenko had a quick first chance in the second minute that Rajkovic needed to swat away to the short side of the goal. Just two minutes later, Ben Basat was tripped up in the box that led to Zahavi’s penalty goal beating Barak Levy to go up 1:0 early on in the match.

The Yellow-and-Blue looked to increase their lead, but it was Netanya who controlled the tempo and had a number quality chances in an attempt to find the equalizer. Milan Smiljanic’s 25 meter strike was pushed aside by Rajkovic to the right of his goal and Yuval Avidor’s effort was partially obstructed by Ben Haim to keep the Maccabi lead intact.

In the 39th minute, Maccabi broke through the Netanya defense as Zahavi received the ball deep in Netanya territory that he smartly passed off to Ben Chaim. But the winger’s shot went over the bar to end the threat and send the teams into halftime with Maccabi maintaining a slim 1:0 advantage.

Maccabi went on the attack early and often in the second half with Zahavi’s solo effort from 25 meters out being handily saved by Levy. Ben Basat’s 56th minute strike went wide of the goal and Ben Chaim’s one-on-one chance with Levy hit the close side netting of the goal to go out to safety.

Jokanovic decided to make two substitutions bringing in Yoav Ziv for Ben Harush and Nosa Igiebor for Mitrovic to try and keep the momentum up in attempt to find an insurance marker. And in the 68th minute, lo and behold that’s exactly what happened. Peretz’s intelligent chip pass to a flying Ben Chaim saw the speedy winger outwit the Netanya keeper, maneuvering the ball around Levy and tapping it into the empty goal to double the Maccabi lead.

Dor Micha was introduced in the 74th minute for Ben Chaim and went to work right away with an amazing across the box pass to and oncoming Ziv. But Levy was in the right position to snag the left back’s vicious strike before Netanya pulled one back on a Mishchenko header as the referee blew the final whistle.

The Yellow-and-Blue will return to action in two weeks on November 21st as they visit Hapoel Haifa at Sammy Ofer Stadium for 17:00 kickoff.

Maccabi scored 11 goals in October and you chose the top five including the HP Goal of the Month. Barak Itzhaki’s volley goal against Akko was first with 54% of the vote as he picked up the award for the second month in a row. Watch how all five ranked in the video below and congratulations to the HP prize winner.

 

Year Founded: 1934

Stadium: Netanya Municipal Stadium (13,800)

Head Coach: Guy Zarfati (interim coach)

Players who left: Ori Shitrit, Larry Kayode, Gabi Giugiu, Shlav Menashe, Cristian Sirgiu, Eyad Abu Abaid, Ariel Harush, Ido Levy, Orr Barouch, Amit Ben Shushan, Omer Tzalicher, Ran Roll

Players arrived: Barak Levi, Gael Margolis, Moshe Lugasi, Tal Ayala, Barry Hamza, Zevik Haimovich, Andrii Mishchenko, Milan Smiljanic, Omer Vered, Imaye Taga, Yuval Avidor, Omer Boaron.

Key player: Barak Levi

The keeper was loaned by Maccabi Tel Aviv and is considered to be one of the players who will bring confidence and order back to the club with the help of their defense. Levi has improved both on a personal level and within the team where he will be an important part of the club trying to stop Maccabi Tel Aviv.

How has their year been to date:

Netanya made a move at the coaching position after scoring only a lone victory against Bnei Yehuda to go along with four draws. Last season the club was able to navigate through financial difficulties, however the question now remains, can they maneuver their way through a coaching change that will help them through the current crisis.