Eran Zahavi's late winner handed Maccabi Tel Aviv a 2-1 victory over Maccabi Haifa in their first play-off encounter
Maccabi Tel Aviv got their 2014/15 season play-off campaign off to an ideal start by beating traditional rivals Maccabi Haifa 2-1 in front of a sell-out crowd at Bloomfield Stadium. Despite this being just the first of ten play-off matches, there was an atmosphere of "match of the season" hanging in the air even before the contest began. And indeed, the close to 13,000 spectators had barely settled in their seats when less than one minute into the match Maccabi Tel Aviv were already on the scoreboard. In one of their first advances into the visitors' half, Serbian midfielder Nikola Mitrovic picked out fellow midfielder Nosa Igiebor heading towards goal and his superb arching ball was quickly turned in by the Nigerian for a 1-0 home-side advantage. Maccabi Tel Aviv continued to dominate events on the pitch throughout the first half and just short of the half hour mark Igiebor almost had his second after fellow midfielders Dor Micha and Eran Zahavi teamed up, the latter with a splendid back-heel, to send him through on goal once again. This time though his finish was saved by Haifa's Serbian keeper Vladimir Stojkovic and with the visitors rarely foraying into Maccabi Tel Aviv territory, the score remained 1-0 at half time.
The second half opened without any substitutions on either side, but under continued Maccabi Tel Aviv pressure Haifa head coach Marco Balbul was first to alter his side when he sent on Spanish midfielder Míchel for the largely ineffective striker Itai Shechter. For his part, Maccabi Tel Aviv head coach Pako Ayestaran waited until the hour mark to make his first substitution, sending on veteran striker Barak Itzhaki for winger Tal Ben Chaim. Paradoxically it was just then that Maccabi Haifa produced their one moment of magic, when against the run of play a defensive error sent striker Eliran Atar behind the home-side defence and the ex-Maccabi Tel Aviv star slotted home past keeper Juan Pablo to draw his side level. But a determined Maccabi Tel Aviv side continued the pressure and eleven minutes later Itzhaki had a chance from close range. Ten minutes from time Pako made his second substitution, sending on Barak Badash for the excellent Igiebor, and four minutes later the lanky striker quite nearly put the home side ahead with an acrobatic overhead effort off another Mitrovic ball into the area.
But it was one minute from time that the home-side determination finally paid dividends when Barak Itzhaki passed to Eran Zehavi just outside the area, and the prolific star skillfully chested down the ball before slamming it home past Stojkovic to put Maccabi Tel Aviv back in the lead 2-1. It was Zahavi's 22nd goal of the season and minutes later, when match referee Menashe Mashiah blew his whistle, Maccabi Tel Aviv had recorded their fourth season victory over Maccabi Haifa in all competitions. The win also returns to Maccabi Tel Aviv their five-point lead at the top of the Israeli Premier League table over Hapoel Beer Sheva, who will be the team's next guest after the international break.
