Maccabi had Eran Zahavi sent off but overcame Wiener Neustadt 3-1 courtesy of goals from Nikita Rukavytsya, Dan Einbinder and Mahran Radi. The team played in black armbands in memory of the three dead Israeli teenagers
Maccabi Tel Aviv have won their second consecutive pre-season friendly in Austria, this time 3-1 against Austrian Bundesliga side SC Wiener Neustadt. The MTA squad took to the field wearing black armbands out of respect for the three Israeli teenagers – Gilad Sha’ar, Naftali Frenkel and Eyal Yifrach – who were kidnapped and murdered two weeks ago and whose funerals took place in Israel before the match started. A minute of silence was also held before the referee blew the opening whistle.
Maccabi came out in attack mode and just five minutes into the match young midfielder Moshe Lugassi floated a ball over the opposition defence that visiting Australian international Nikita Rukavytsya snatched from a Neustadt defender to score and put Maccabi 1-0 in front. Fifteen minutes later Maccabi midfielder Dan Einbinder prodded in second into the Neustadt net that put the Israeli champions 2-0 to the good. The goal originated from a corner, looped on by winger Omri Altman to Swedish striker Rade Prica who headed into the path of Einbinder.
Meanwhile Maccabi head coach Oscar Garcia made a number of first-half substitutions with a view to seeing as many squad members as possible in action, and he continued in the same spirit after the interval. Ten minutes after the restart striker Barak Badash found fellow striker Mavis Chibote down the left who fired onto the Neustadt woodwork. Fifteen minutes later Maccabi scored their third goal of the match, with midfielder Dor Micha breaking down the right and crossing to midfielder Mahran Radi whose powerful shot was deflected by the Austrian keeper into his own net. Four minutes later Neustadt pulled one back, with midfielder Kristijan Dobras scoring from the spot after one of his team-mates was brought down in the area. Two minutes after that Maccabi were down to ten men when midfielder Eran Zahavi was sent off for a second bookable offence.
The remaining matchtime passed uneventfully and at the ref's whistle Maccabi had recorded a 3-1 victory, their second in the course of their ten-day Austrian training camp. The Maccabi squad will continue training and will play their third pre-season friendly on Friday against the reserves of Austrian club Sturm Graz.
