Maccabi Tel Aviv eased into the last 16 of the State Cup with a 1-4 victory over Beitar Tel Aviv/Ramla. Barak Itzhaki scored twice on his return to the eleven, Barak Badash and Ben Reichert added on
The municipal stadium in Ramla can hold only 2,000 spectators, but those Maccabi fans lucky enough to have made the 24-kilometre journey from Tel Aviv were handsomely rewarded for their efforts. Since February last year, when he tore his cruciate ligament, Barak Itzhaki has followed a long road to recovery and for eleven long months Maccabi Tel Aviv fans have waited anxiously to see him back in full action. Tonight Itzhaki repaid their faith and devotion by scoring a brace on his return to the starting eleven as Maccabi Tel Aviv eased into the last sixteen of the Israeli State Cup competition with a resounding 1-4 victory over second division side Beitar Tel Aviv/Ramla.
It took the experienced striker just three minutes to get on the scoreboard, skillfully volleying to the far post a splendid Gael Margulies cross. The advantage was temporarily wiped out after 25 minutes when Maccabi defender Carlos Gracia was adjudged by referee Orel Greenfeld to have fouled Beitar and ex-Maccabi striker Matan Lutati in the area. Fellow striker Avi Avinu fired past Maccabi keeper Barak Levy from the spot to bring head coach Slobodan Drapic's side temporarily back into the match. From then on though Maccabi's dominance went completely unchallenged and striker Barak Badash restored Maccabi's lead four minutes later after poking home a poor clearance by Beitar keeper Jenya Donayeev of a Dor Peretz strike.
Maccabi took the narrow 1-2 margin into the half, but just seven minutes after the restart Itzhaki completed his brace, his first since November 2013, this time volleying home at full stretch a well-timed Dan Einbinder long ball giving the visitors a two goal cushion. Three minutes later midfielder Mahran Radi saw his shot from outside the area deflected into the path of Itzhaki and but for the intervention of Beitar midfielder Shahar Keller the returning striker might have had his hat-trick. On 69 minutes Radi too renewed his efforts and only a spectacular leap by Donayeev prevented him from scoring. No such luck for the Beitar keeper four minutes later when young midfielder Ben Reichert stole a ball close to the centre circle, thundered through the Beitar half and crowned his impressive solo effort with his second goal of the season to bring Maccabi's total to four on the night.
Only next week will Maccabi know who their opponents are in the competition's next round, that of the last sixteen. But tonight's decisive performance will most certainly give the team good reason to believe that their misfortunes in the State Cup in recent years may finally be coming to an end.
