This Saturday at 11am, MTA's Under-19s will attempt to return to winning ways as they host Hapoel Rishon Lezion at Kiryat Shalom. Exclusive updates at the official MTA website.
After two losses and a draw in their last three league outings, Maccabi Tel Aviv "Shachar" will have the opportunity to change direction and put a halt to the slide on Saturday when matchweek 7 of the national Under-19 Premier League sets them up at home against Hapoel Rishon Lezion. The match will be held without spectators, a result of crowd disturbances at the beginning of the month at the home derby against Hapoel Tel Aviv which cost the team both a fine and a two-match spectator ban.
Head coach Alon Turjeman's charges started out the season on the right foot with nine goals and as many points from their first three league encounters. In the following three matches the number of goals and points were also the same but disappointingly only one in each category. Despite this dip in form, "Shachar" are still in fifth place, close to the league's pacesetters, with ten points and an identical goal difference.
In contrast to Maccabi's Under-19s, Hapoel Rishon Lezion's season got off to a bad start but they've improved somewhat since then. Two points and four goals were all Rishon could muster from their first four league outings, but they were followed by a 1-3 away win at Bnei Yehuda and a 3-3 draw against FC Ashdod which improved their statistics and put some distance between them and the drop-zone.
Last season the two clubs met on opening day in Rishon Lezion and with a 1-1 draw the home side were only one of four teams to take points against Maccabi Tel Aviv "Shachar" in the first round of last season's league fixtures. In the return fixture at Kiryat Shalom at the start of the second round, "Shachar" triumphed 3-1, with current team captain Dean Akafi scoring one of Maccabi's goals. A repeat of that feat would be a welcome result for the home side, but any winning margin will serve to bring back the (yellow) colour to the players' cheeks.
Live updates throughout the match will appear on the matchpage of the official Maccabi Tel Aviv website that will open at kick-off.
