Maccabi Tel Aviv collected only one point for the second time in succession after being held to a 0-0 draw by Beitar Jerusalem at Teddy stadium. Maccabi managed to stabelize the defense which conceded 8 goals in the last three matches and kept a clean sheet against Beitar for the 7th time in succession. That wasn’t enough to secure a win as Maccabi will now try pick themselves up against Kiryat Shmona on Thursday.
Pre Game
Maccabi’s coach Georgios Donis made several changes to the side which was held to a 2-2 draw by Maccabi Netanya last week, for the visit to Beitar Jerusalem’s Teddy stadium. Enric Saborit partnered Eitan Tibi and Luis Fernandez as the third central defender in a five-man defense with Maor Kandil and Ofir Davidzada named as the two wing-backs on the right and left respectively.
Eyal Golasa who made a second half substitute appearance against Netanya before scoring the first equalizer kept his place alongside Dor Peretz in the midfield engine room. Dan Biton, whose assist to Yonatan Cohen secured the 2-2 draw was named behind Cohen and Serbian striker Aleksandar Pesic.
First Half
Maccabi dominated the opening stages of the game, but it was Beitar that reached the first chance which was headed wide by Idan Vered 15 minutes from the start.
A minute after the half hour mark Cohen led a counter attack and charged through the middle but from the edge of the area failed to keep his shot down. Four minutes later, Ofir Davidzada whipped in a cross from the left to find Aleksandar Pesic only to see the Serbian striker miscue his header.
Dor Peretz tried his luck from long range on 37 but his right foot powerful drive was caught by Beitar’s keeper Itamar Nitzan. On the stroke of halftime Maccabi’s defense struggled to clear the danger as the ball fell to Ali Mohamad who opted for power rather than accuracy.
Second Half
With no changes at halftime Maccabi came out of the dressing room in the same way they started the game. In the 54th minute, Beitar’s keeper saved and pulled another save to deny a shot from Peretz.
A counter attack in the 60th minute caught Beitar’s off guard as Dan Biton found Davidzada whose shot was easily collected by Nitzan. Biton was given a chance to break the deadlock as Maccabi were awarded a free kick on the edge of the area. But the diminutive midfielder on his left foot couldn’t keep his shot down as the ball flew high over the crossbar.
Donis made his first substitution in the 74th minute as Matan Hozez replaced Biton. Dan Glazer and Eylon Almog were introduced shortly after as they came in for Eyal Golasa and Yonatan Cohen on 78.
Hozez managed to create himself the time and space on the edge of Beitar’s area in the 82nd minute but once again a shot was blasted high over the framework. Tal Ben Chaim and Itay Schechter were both introduced for Kandil and Davidzada in the 89th minute.
The final whistle of referee Orel Greenfeld sent both teams to seek the goals and victory elsewhere and on another day.
