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Encounters with municipal neighbours Bnei Yehuda bring back memories of goals scored by Maccabi Tel Aviv in the dying moments of the match. With yet another "little" derby just around the corner, what better time to have a fond look back at a few of the best
Very few memories in football can compare with a winning goal scored in the final moments of a match. For Maccabi Tel Aviv the journey need go no farther back than two recent matches against upcoming rivals Bnei Yehuda, who will play host at Bloomfield Stadium this Saturday night at 8pm, to understand how exciting that final moment can be. Striker Rade Prica's last-minute header against Bnei Yehuda in matchweek 2 this season had the Maccabi faithful jumping to their feet in joy. And no words could adequately describe the ecstasy of the crowd when last February young midfielder Moshe Lugassi's long-range masterpiece completed a brace of injury time goals (the first also courtesy of Rade Prica) that pushed Maccabi past their municipal neighbours, who still led 2-1 when the matchclock showed 90 minutes. Might a similar drama be awaiting us this Saturday? Hard to say, but in the meantime a short stroll down memory lane to some of the club's more dramatic moments will refresh our memories of Maccabi's love affair with last-minute goals:
August 30th 2008, Maccabi Tel Aviv 2 – Bnei Yehuda 1
What better place to start than at another match against Bnei Yehuda, and a winning goal courtesy of Maccabi's current team captain Sheran Yeini. The opening match of the 2008/09 season began with a Maccabi goal courtesy of midfielder Yossi Shivhon, a goal that until the last minute of the match looked to be the only one forthcoming. One minute before time, Bnei Yehuda's Argentian midfielder equalised with his first ever goal in Israel but Sheran Yeini had the last word with a header in injury time to win the match for Maccabi.
October 12th 2001, Maccabi Tel Aviv 2 – Hapoel Petach Tikva 1
Matchweek 6 of the 2001/2 season was witness to a unique event when Maccabi played host to Hapoel Petach Tikva on a Friday afternoon. The unusual scheduling of the match was accompanied by a winning goal by an equally unusual goalscorer. Some three months before collapsing on the pitch, defender Menni Levi headed in his only ever league goal in front of the impassioned Maccabi faithful in terraces 11-10 to secure Maccabi's win over Hapoel Petach Tikva. The visitors led at half time courtesy of a goal by Michael Zendberg but Maccabi's legendary goalscorer Aviv Nimni equalised after the restart before Levi's last minute effort sealed the win for the home side.
April 28th 1995, Maccabi Tel Aviv 1 – Hapoel Bet She'an 0
The 1994/5 season title race between Maccabi Tel Aviv and Maccabi Haifa came to a head in matchweek 26. After the nemesis from the north had done their work by winning their match, Maccabi Tel Aviv headed goalless into extra time against bottom club Hapoel Bet She'an. After pressing hard throughout the second half, Maccabi were finally rewarded four minutes into extra time when midfielder Yuri Shukanov left-footed the match winner so vital to Maccabi but so very cruel to league strugglers Bet She'an.
February 2nd 1985, Maccabi Tel Aviv 2 – Hapoel Tel Aviv 2
Eleven matchweeks before the end of the 1984/85 season, Maccabi Tel Aviv hosted municipal rivals Hapoel for one of their most memorable Tel Aviv derbies in Israel history. Neither club were remotely in the frame for the title and a rainy and muddy February day at Bloomfield left little hope for a momentous occasion. Hapoel had a 1-2 lead at full time and the match went into extra time that passed its limit due to the malfunctioning of referee Yitzhak Ben Yitzhak's match watch. Five minutes beyond the allotted time Maccabi midfielder Alon Natan scored a spectacular goal from 25 metres out and joined his teammates in celebration at the end of a dramatic match.
