Hundreds of adoring Maccabi fans flocked to the club's official Dizengoff merchandise shop to see team stars Barak Itzhaki and Eran Zahavi

With sweet recollections of their team's most recent triumph still lingering, hundreds of Maccabi Tel Aviv fans, young and old alike, today flocked to the club's official Dizengoff Tel Aviv merchandise shop for a special day of sales attended by none other than two of the team's outstanding stars, Barak Itzhaki and Eran Zahavi.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJYk73zqVDI

The illustrious pair's presence lent a very special atmosphere to the occasion as the two signed autographs, chatted with fans and had their photographs taken with them.

Eran, whose two goals last night were the pièce de résistance in Maccabi's resounding victory over nearest title rivals Hapoel Beer Sheva, was delighted to once again step into the spotlight, this time in closer proximity to his adoring fans. "We love these kinds of events," the prolific goalscorer told the official Maccabi website crew, "The connection between the club and the fans is very important to us and we put as much time as we can into making sure those ties get stronger. And as long as we know it brings joy to the fans it's worth every minute. That's one of the great privileges of being a personality, you get to make people happy".

Maccabi Tel Aviv Football Club would like to thank all the supporters who came to the shop yesterday. We look forward to seeing each and every one of you again at future club events.

 

 

 

 

Midfielder Dan Einbinder is raring to go ahead of tonight's encounter against second-place Hapoel Beer Sheva

Everything is ready for tonight's 8.55pm kick-off at Bloomfield Stadium against Maccabi Tel Aviv's nearest title rival, Hapoel Beer Sheva, who sit just five points off the pace. Many of the players remember a similar situation last year, when the two clubs met in the play-offs at Bloomfield and a Maccabi victory stretched their lead from five points to eight to help pave the way to their second straight championship.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kvc3S5ZkA2I

"The leading team facing number two is always a 'match of the season'", says Dan Einbinder, who was in the first eleven for Maccabi's season 2013/14 triumph. "It's a match both sides want to win. I believe we've prepared ourselves as best we can and are ready to go out there and win".

As for tomorrow night's difficult rivals the midfielder commented: "Beer Sheva have done great things, last year and this one. They're having a great season but we've only to look after ourselves. We try to work hard, study our rivals and be as prepared for the match as we possibly can. We want to win and that's what we'll be after when we go out there tonight".

"We have to play our game. We're at Bloomfield, our home turf with our fans, and we have to hit the ground running, be hungrier and of course be in our best form and win the match".

Einbinder also had a word to say about the support the players get from the fans: "I'm sure Bloomfield will be packed and noisy as always. Our fans come to every match at every venue to support us, especially at Bloomfield, so I'm sure the atmosphere will be fantastic. All we have to do is make it even better out on the pitch".

  

 

 

 

 

 

After facing title rivals Hapoel Beer Sheva at Bloomfield, Maccabi head coach Pako Ayestaran and goalscorer Tal Ben Chaim gave their first reactions to the team's stunning 3-1 victory

Matchday 2 of the top-six playoffs offered Maccabi Tel Aviv the enticing prospect of expanding the gap at the top of the Israeli Premier ("Winner") League table over their nearest rivals Hapoel Beer Sheva, and the league leaders grasped the opportunity with both hands. An Eran Zahavi brace and a fine individual effort by winger Tal Ben Chaim provided the goals and an exultant sell-out crowd at Bloomfield Stadium did the rest. Eight points now separate the two clubs with just eight matches left to the season.

After the match was over, Maccabi head coach Pako Ayestaran acknowledged the significance of the win and stressed the importance of the team's continuing to play at this level. He admitted that at the start of the second half Beer Sheva succeeded in getting back into the match but afterwards Maccabi got the tie back under control. He was very pleased with his substitutions and acknowledged their contribution to the victory, expressing particular delight that long-injured striker Rade Prica has returned to match fitness. While appreciating the growing gap between his own team and their nearest rivals, he added that the season was far from over. Even before the match, the Spaniard confided, he felt the championship was in Maccabi's hands alone.

 

Tal Ben Chaim, who came in on the hour mark and played a significant role in his team's victory over their southern rivals, had this to say after the match: "We're a better side than they are and that will become clear over time. Our job as players is to be in the top spot and we're close to completing our mission. I'm proud to be a part of this team, any one of us could be in the first eleven and every one of us knows it as well. We've got a top-notch staff who got us fully fit for this match and from the moment we went 2-1 up they were chasing the tie and left themselves exposed at the back. I was able to help us win, and at the end of the day that's what's really important".

 

 

Dor Micha, provider of two of Maccabi's three goals against Hapoel Beer Sheva, was keen to give credit to the goalscorer: "When Tal scores it's like I'm scoring myself"

One of the stand-out players in Maccabi Tel Aviv's convincing victory over Hapoel Beer Sheva last night was young midfielder Dor Micha, who added two more assists to his season 2014/15 resume. After the match he was pleased as Punch, not just about his own performance but about that of the whole team, Beer Sheva's equaliser notwithstanding. "We've had two great outings since the start of the play-offs, even if we did do it the hard way by conceding two soft goals in in both second periods. In both contests we showed a lot of character and took back the lead and won. Tonight was a very important win. Opening an eight-point margin at the top gives us a lot of breathing space and confidence and a good head start towards the end". 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eceN_GnPfJY

Quite naturally Mica was pleased with his own contribution to the win but focused more on praising his team-mates: "I'm very close to Tal (Ben Chaim). He's a good friend and when Tal scores it's like I'm scoring myself. His goal was more his own effort than teamwork, but I did get two assists and I'm happy I could help". The young midfielder also heaped praise on the home supporters who as always made their own special contribution and provided just the right atmosphere for the victory: "The fans put on a great display today and that gave us a great push, especially after Beer Sheva equalised. It was a great help".

Rade Prica was happy both for the victory and for his long-awaited return after injury: "I missed it a lot. It's always really good to be able to play again and not to have any pain". As for the match itself the striker remarked: "We always go for the win, every game we play we always try to win and this was an important game. If we would have lost this game it would only be two points and now it's eight so it was an important victory. It's not finished, there are still eight games left, but it looks very good ". Asked if he felt the victory sent a clear message to title rivals Hapoel Beer Sheva, Prica responded: "I believe we are the best team. Now we're eight points in front of them and we've been number one for a long time. At the end of the season we will see who's the best. So far it's us". Like his team-mate Dor Micha, Prica too, was in awe of the enthusiasm of the home fans: "It was amazing, I really missed it. This is the third game this season I played at Bloomfield I think and I really missed it".

 

 

Everything is ready for tonight's 8.55pm kick-off against Hapoel Beer Sheva. All in all, the match stats for this encounter bear a remarkable resemblance to those of the 2013/14 season's parallel play-off fixture: Maccabi were leading the pack, with Hapoel Beer Sheva chasing a five point deficit in second place. Remember who won? Of course you do.

At a press conference ahead of tomorrow night's tie against Hapoel Beer Sheva, Maccabi head coach Pako Ayestaran spoke of the opponent: "A team that is a contender for the championship"

Following the international break, Maccabi Tel Aviv will tomorrow return to centre stage in the Israeli Premier ("Winner") League play-off campaign when they host nearest title rivals Hapoel Beer Sheva for an 8.55pm kick-off at Bloomfield Stadium. Head coach Pako Ayestaran will have a nearly complete squad at his disposal, with only midfielder Gili Vermouth still recovering from an ankle injury. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hh5ZuECS1Zo

At the customary pre-match press conference, the Spaniard was asked what kind of game he expected: "A tough game. A team that is a contender for the championship. The two previous games were difficult ones and I don't expect an easy game. I expect a tough game and a game where we will have to perform at our level to have a chance. You have to be ready when you approach a game that you can win, but you can lose as well. In this case we have to be focused on trying to keep going in the run we are in because I think in the last two games we played quite well. But Beer Sheva are in a good run as well. In this case they're going to be a tough contender and they know how to play. They've got quality, starting from the goalkeeper, a good back four, good players in the middle and in front. In this case it's a difficult team".

The coach was asked if he agreed that the match was more important, what the sports press in Israel like to call "a game for six points". Pako: "It's more important because this is the one we are going to play and every three points is important, against Beer Sheva, against any contender we are going to approach in the coming weeks. In this case it's a game of three points for me". It was suggested that as with the parallel fixture last year, a win tomorrow stretching Maccabi's lead at the top to eight points would create a gap that would be virtually "uncloseable". The Maccabi coach: "Nothing is 'uncloseable'. I remember in our first league in Valencia that we won. With ten games to go we were behind I think seven points and we won seven points in front. We closed a gap of nearly fourteen points. Anything can happen. You have to be ready to keep going, not take your foot off the gas, even if you win the next game".  

 

 

As Monday night's play-off game against Hapoel Beer Sheva rapidly approaches, let's take a short trip down memory lane to some of Maccabi's most historic ever encounters with the Israeli Premier League's southernmost competitor

Tomorrow at 8.55pm, Maccabi Tel Aviv will host Hapoel Beer Sheva for their second of ten Israeli Premier ("Winner") League top-six playoff matches. In recent years this particular match-up has become a title-chasing event and a tense contest, but let's have another look at some earlier encounters between the two clubs that have brought sparkle to Maccabi's illustrious past.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1B1P_F2gTn0

The prestigious victory – 2002/2003: An important win on the road to the title

The season is 2002/2003. Maccabi are in the throes of a traditional three-way title fight with Maccabi Haifa and Hapoel Tel Aviv. Head coach Nir Klinger's side have twice met their southern rivals, led by the late Lupa Kadosh, and twice met with defeat. Six games from the end of the season Hapoel Beer Sheva returned to Bloomfield Stadium.

Maccabi striker Amir Turjeman opened the match brilliantly and on 21 minutes sent the Bloomfield terraces alight with a goal. Kadosh's side managed to equalise on 64 minutes, but just as the Maccabi faithful began to fear for yet another points' loss to Beer Sheva, striker Rodrigo Goldberg beat keeper Assi Rahamim on 71 minutes and earned the home side a precious victory. That season would end in a most dramatic fashion, with Maccabi Tel Aviv winning the title on goal difference alone.

The big victory – 1995/1996: Maccabi thrash Hapoel Beer sheva 5-0 at Bloomfield

The 1995/1996 season saw Maccabi register one of their most impressive ever victories over Hapoel Beer Sheva. In gameweek 23 the southerners arrived at Bloomfield Stadium and encountered a Maccabi side in superlative form. Maccabi's Belarussian striker Yevgeni Kashentsev scored a hat-trick and Avi Nimni and Eli Dricks added individual efforts as Maccabi racked up five goals in a 5-0 rout, a feat the team had earlier achieved against Hapoel Zafririm Holon.

The historic victory – 1994/1995: Alon Brumer heads Maccabi to the championship

The 1994/1995 season. Saturday afternoon. Beer Sheva's Wassermill Stadium. Last game of a season whose title would end in a photo-finish that to this day is regarded as one of the most exciting in Israeli football history. Maccabi Tel Aviv go into the match leading Maccabi Haifa by two points. Hapoel Beer Sheva are in third position and are a formidable home side for Maccabi Tel Aviv to face with title race still so close. Maccabi Haifa on the other hand are facing Hapoel Beit Shaan, who are hovering above the relegation zone.

Maccabi hadn't won the title in three years and the fans were determined to put an end to the drought. They flocked to Beer Sheva in their thousands, filling Wassermill with the traditional yellow-and-blue. It proved to be a tense encounter, punctuated by occasional shouts from the terraces that echoed the developments from Haifa's Kiryat Eliezer Stadium. Maccabi stars Nir Klinger, Nir Sivilia and Avi Nimni repeatedly attacked the opposition goal, but to no avail. Then, a minute from the break, Nir Klinger sent an angled free kick into the area and defender Alon Brumer headed in to send the visiting crowd into wild celebrations. Maccabi held on to their 0-1 margin so that even minnow Beit Shaan's come-from-behind victory in Haifa made little difference. Maccabi Tel Aviv were champions once again, the 17^th league title in club history.

The debutant's victory – 1994/1995: Ben Luz scores again to become an official hit at Maccabi

Earlier in the 1994/1995 season. Two weeks prior to the Maccabi's first-round encounter with Beer Sheva, Maccabi revealed a great talent that had developed in their academy. Just sixteen years old, Ben Luz pitched up for his first senior team appearance in a first-round match against Maccabi Petach Tikva and scored his first goal, the matchwinner. Two weeks later Maccabi were hosting Hapoel Beer Sheva and a three-sided move between Yevgeni Kashentsev, Eli Dricks and Luz resulted in a Luz's final shot that slammed into the Beer Sheva goal. Again this promising discovery from the Maccabi academy had provided the matchwinner.

 

Why is this season different from all other seasons? Who is the wise son on the Maccabi team? The wicked son? The son who doesn't know what to ask? And of course, who will find this year's official Maccabi Tel Aviv afikoman? Squad members Gael Margulies, Yoav Ziv and Eden Ben Basat provide all the answers here below. (in Hebrew)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yy0sOJYqvd0

Maccabi Tel Aviv Football Club wish the entire Maccabi family, both here in Israel and around the world, a very Happy Passover.