Maccabi Tel Aviv's nine-year winless streak against Maccabi Haifa at their Kiryat Eliezer Stadium ended tonight with an impressive 0-3 victory over their northern namesakes, courtesy of a goal from Barak Itzhaki and a brace from Rade Prica
After a three week break, Maccabi Tel Aviv returned to league duties tonight with an intriguing tie against Maccabi Haifa at the latter's Kiryat Eliezer Stadium. In keeping with the import of a face-off between these two Israeli Premier League giants, the stadium was packed with supporters, among them some 2,000 bearing the yellow-and-blue of Maccabi Tel Aviv. And their journey north was nearly rewarding just after ten minutes of play, with MTA's young international striker Moannes Dabour narrowly missing the target. At the other end, Haifa's gifted midfielder Hen Ezra came closest for the hosts on the break, but his effort in front of goal was handily parried by Tel Aviv's experienced Spanish keeper Juan Pablo. Two more efforts, by Dabour facing Haifa's Serbian keeper Bojan Saranov, and a strong kick by Ezra saved by Juan Pablo, remained the only two threats either side produced until the referee's whistle ended a first-half goalless draw.
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Three minutes after the restart Tel Aviv striker Barak Itzhaki drew a save from Saranov, but two minutes later he finished the job, lunging for a splendid cross from midfielder Maharan Radi and chesting it past Saranov into the lower left hand corner of the Haifa net. Yitshaki nearly doubled Tel Aviv's advantage just short of the hour mark but Haifa's Bosnian defender Edin Cocalic cleared his effort off the line. Three minutes later, and just two minutes after a timely substitution that brought on striker Rade Prica, Tel Aviv midfielder Eran Zahavi sent a superb long pass ahead of the Haifa defence into the path of the onside Prica, who looped the ball over the onrushing Saranov into the net to set the score at 0-2. With fifteen minutes remaining, the Swedish striker completed his brace with a strong left-footed volley from an excellent pass onto the area by young defender Omri Ben Haroush.
With the match nearly completed, a run down the left by Haifa's South African striker Dino Ndlovu ended in a close-range shot that was deflected off the post into the path of Hen Ezra, who smacked it back off the crossbar. But the deed was already done: After nine years, four months and one day, Maccabi Tel Aviv had finally beaten Maccabi Haifa at Kiryat Eliezer by the impressive margin of 0-3, the team's third successive league win without conceding to the opposition. This coming Saturday at 8pm the lads in yellow will return home to Bloomfield Stadium to face Ironi Kiryat Shmona.
