With the prospect of raising the championship trophy at game's end, Maccabi Tel Aviv beat Cup winners Kiryat Shmona 3-1 at Bloomfield Stadium
Eight days after sealing their second consecutive Israeli Premier League championship, Maccabi Tel Aviv hosted Ironi Kiryat Shmona for a match that had the atmosphere of celebration from start to finish. At game's end, the MTA squad stood to crown their highly successful 2013/14 campaign with the official hoisting of the championship trophy, but not before they had contested 90 minutes of football against the team who only last week captured the coveted Israeli State Cup by beating second division (Hale'umit) champions Maccabi Netanya.
From the very start of the match Maccabi Tel Aviv hit the ground running and with just eight minutes gone midfielder Dan Einbinder sent fellow midfielder Dor Micha through down the right with a clever pass but the young international's finish glanced off the woodwork. Five minutes later came Maccabi's next opportunity and this time it was Einbinder's alone as he scored his first goal in Maccabi kit with a cross into the area that passed the entire Kiryat Shmona defence and nestled snuggly into Kiryat Shmona keeper Guy Haimov's net. Ten minutes later the outstanding Einbinder turned provider as an insightful long pass from his own half once again caught Dor Micha outrunning his markers. But this time Micha made no mistake of his intentions as he rounded the keeper to shoot into an open net to double the home side's advantage at 2-0. Five minutes later the visitor's pulled one back after midfielder Adrian Rochet was brought down in the area, with ex-Maccabi midfielder Ro'i Kahat coolly scoring from the spot. Enough time remained in the first half for an attacking Maccabi side to produce two more chances, from midfielders Mahran Radi and Eran Zahavi respectively, but at the half-time whistle the score remained 2-1 in Maccabi's favour.
After the restart Maccabi maintained dominance, with defenders Yoav Ziv and Remi Mareval joining Eran Zahavi at having a go at a beleaguered Haimov. But with a quarter of an hour to go Haimov's luck ran out as the ever active Yoav Ziv turned provider with a precise through ball to Zahavi who adroitly sliced it past the powerless Kiryat Shmona keeper for Maccabi's third on the night and his 24th goal of the season. Eran Zahavi is now not only Maccabi's top scorer but also level with Hapoel Tel Aviv's Omer Damari as top goalscorer of the Israeli Premier League.
The final fifteen minutes of the match passed without further incident. After three minutes of time added on Maccabi's 3-1 victory over Kiryat Shmona became official, adding to the team's outstanding total of fourteen victories in seventeen home outings without loss in the league this season. The stage was thus set for team captain Sheran Yeini, wearing the number 21 jersey, to lift Maccabi Tel Aviv's 21st all-time Israeli Premier League Championship trophy.
