Carlos Garcia’s early goal was cancelled out by Ovidiu Huban’s marker later on in the first half as the Yellow-and-Blue and Beer Sheva each collected one point for their efforts in a spirited affair at Turner Stadium. The draw leaves Maccabi still just one point shy of the first place hosts.
Head Coach Peter Bosz had to make a few changes from the lineup he had been using
over the last few weeks with winger Tal Ben Chaim unavailable due to yellow card accumulation. Serbian keeper Predrag Rajikovoc started in goal with Eli Dasa, Carlos Garcia, Eitan Tibi and Avi Rikan on defense. Gal Alberman and Haris Medunjanin started in the midfield while Dor Micha, Eden Ben Basat, Orlando Sa and Captain Eran Zahavi provided the attack.
Beer Sheva looked to strike first applying a tremendous amount of pressure in the opening minutes, but Elyaniv Barda’s 4th minute chance in the box went out of play while the Maccabi defense stood its ground. Zahavi had Maccabi’s opening opportunity in the 10th minute but his effort was knocked away for a corner kick.
And what a corner kick the Captain would deliver! Zahavi swung a perfect ball right into the box and met Garcia’s head for the first goal of the match! The Spaniard now has 
three goals this campaign with the last two coming on headers against teams in Red named Hapoel as his last marker was the match winner in the first round Tel Aviv Derby.
As the match began settling down after a frantic beginning Muhamed Ghadir had a fantastic chance in the 17th minute for Beer Sheva but the Maccabi goal stopper Rajikovic made a brilliant foot save to keep his side in the lead. However, in the 24th minute Beer Sheva found the equalizer. Maor Bozaglo sent a deep pass into the box that Ovidiu Huban slotted home last a sprawling Rajkovic to even up the score at 1:1.
As the match hit the 33rd minute, Ben Basat delivered a nice ball from the left side into the box to an oncoming Zahavi but it was just out of his reach. As the midfield battle ensued, Tibi, Dasa and Alberman were all alert in keeping Beer Sheva at bay and out of striking distance with the match heading into the break deadlocked at 1:1.
The second half opened with the same quick pace of the first as Alberman moved deep into Hapoel territory and handed off a magnificent pass to Zahavi, but number 7’s close range effort went high over the goal in the 48th minute. Just two minutes later a Mendunjanin left side corner kick went to Sa at the far end of the box who headed it back into the middle of the fray right to Micha. However his opportunity was smashed to safety by the Beer Sheva defense to keep the score as is.
Dor Micha featured ten minutes later again for the Yellow-and-Blue as his double pass with Portuguese striker Orlando Sa was just finger-tipped to safety by a diving Dudu Goresh. Beer Sheva also came close in the 64th minute but their corner kick was headed away by the Maccabi defenders.
Beer Sheva goal scorer Huban was handed the first yellow card of the match after a hard foul in the midfield in the 66th minute and just one minute later Reds coach Barak Bachar introduced Ben Sahar for Mahran Radi. The hosts made a second substitution in the 75th minute bringing on Maor Melikson for Muhamed Ghadir while Alberman picked up a yellow card deep in Beer Sheva territory. 
To try and jump start the offense, Coach Bosz made Maccabi’s first substitute of the evening in the 81st minute as Barak Itzhaki was introduced in place of Ben Basat. Bachar countered with Voba Brown for Maor Bozaglo in the 86th minute as Beer Sheva seemed content to play for the 1:1 draw with only four minutes remaining until injury time.
However, the Yellow-and-Blue defense and shot stopper had to come up big just before time expired keeping the 1:1 scoreline intact as the sides split the points.
