Maccabi are back on top of the table after a 0-2 win over Hapoel Ra'anana. Ben Basat and Garcia are the goalscorers
Maccabi Tel Aviv celebrated their final league match of 2014 by returning to the top of the Israeli Premier League table after their second consecutive clean sheet, a 0-2 victory over Hapoel Ra'anana at the Netanya Municipal Stadium. Despite Maccabi's superiority throughout, the first scoring opportunity of the match fell to Hapoel Ra'anana but defender Guy Lipka missed from close range after a good cross from captain Snir Shuker. Maccabi responded when defender Omri Ben Harush sent a pass resulting from an Eran Zahavi corner over the Ra'anana net, but it was striker Eden Ben Basat who opened the scoring ten minutes into the match after converting a smart ball in from the right by midfielder Dor Micha, who registers his third assist in as many matches and his ninth of the season. The one-goal deficit forced the home side to abandon their defensive set-up in search of an equaliser, resulting in two efforts by Ra'anana's Zambian striker Evans Kangwa, one stopped by Maccabi keeper Barak Levy and a second which went wide. Two minutes to the break Micha and Ben Basat teamed up for a second time after a Maccabi counter attack, but the latter's finish flew over.
The visitors relinquished some control after the restart, but most of the threats still came from the Maccabi attack. Ten minutes in it was Dor Micha again sidestepping his marker but his finish was wide of the mark. Two minutes later Micha turned provider for Nosa Igiebor but the Nigerian midfielder shot over. On 64 minutes Igiebor saw a second attempt go wide after chesting down a pass from fellow midfielder Mahran Radi and striking hard at the Ra'anana goal. Six minutes later Maccabi head coach made a double substitution in hopes of finding an insurance goal and one of them, winger Tal Ben Haim, almost repaid the confidence with a shot from just outside the area that was slapped away for a corner. But Maccabi's second came just four minutes from time when midfielder Eran Zahavi bamboozled his marker on the left and crossed into Carlos Garcia in front of an open net and the defender's first goal of the season and third since joining Maccabi in 2012 doubled Maccabi's advantage. The final whistle put an end to Eran Zahavi's seventeen-match consecutive scoring record but Maccabi return with a 0-2 victory that returns them to the top spot in the league.
Maccabi Tel Aviv will now turn their attention to the battle for the first trophy of the 2014/15 season, the "Toto" (League) Cup final on Wednesday night against Maccabi Haifa.
