For the second time in five days an Eran Zahavi penalty handed Maccabi victory as yellow trumped red in the Tel Aviv Derby
Maccabi Tel Aviv finished their first round of thirteen Israeli Premier League encounters with a victory that kept them atop of the league table after a 1-0 home win over arch municipal rivals Hapoel Tel Aviv in the derby. Within the first quarter hour the visitors were forced to make two substitutions through injury, the first after just five minutes when striker Etai Shechter limped off and was replaced by midfielder Israel Zaguri. Ten minutes later Hapoel's American born midfielder Bryan Gerzicich made way for fellow midfielder Shay Abutbul. These stoppages seemed to leave their mark on play as the match proceeded at a sluggish pace, until the half hour mark when Maccabi striker Barak Itzhaki was brought down in the area and a penalty was awarded to the home side. Midfielder Eran Zahavi once again stepped up to the spot and in a repeat performance of Thursday night's winning goal against Bordeaux wrong-footed the opposition keeper to give Maccabi a precious 1-0 lead. Maccabi head coach Paulo Sousa was also quick to usher in changes in his side with two first-half substitutions, the first just three minutes after taking the lead when midfielder Dor Micha replaced defender Omri Ben Harush, the second just two minutes before half time when midfielder Mahran Radi came on for injured striker Munas Dabbur. These substitutions proved to be the major incidents of the remainder of a first half that passed uneventfully.
In the second half Maccabi increased the pressure and just three minutes after the restart Barak Itzhaki found Eran Zahavi in the Hapoel area but keeper Boris Kleiman was there to turn his shot away. Five minutes later it was again Zahavi in the area, taking a cross on the volley but shooting just over the bar. The pressure continued and a minute thereafter Maccabi winger Tal Ben Haim made a run down the left and let fly with a cross into the area that had the entire Hapoel defence looking the other way as it careened off the near post just inches from the net. With close to 70 minutes on the matchclock, Itzhaki too hit the post after capitalising on a defensive error by substitute Abutbul and passing a defender in the Hapoel area. Two minutes from time Itzhaki tried his luck once again, but his close-range effort was dispatched by a Hapoel defender. At the final whistle the result was a replay of Thursday night's Europa League home tie against Bordeaux – a 1-0 Maccabi victory courtesy of an Eran Zahavi penalty.
Maccabi Tel Aviv will launch their second round of thirteen Israeli Premier League matches with a home tie against Hapoel Acre at 7.15pm on Sunday at Bloomfield Stadium.
