The morning after Maccabi's 1-0 loss to Beitar Jerusalem, captain Sheran Yeini is already looking ahead to next Monday's home tie against Hapoel Petach Tikva
Shortly after the referee blew the final whistle at Haifa's "Sammy Ofer" Stadium on Maccabi Tel Aviv's 1-0 loss to Beitar Jerusalem, team captain Sheran Yeini spoke about how the game developed: "We weren't in control at the start of the match and it moved from box to box. We had a couple of chances to score and unfortunately we didn't take them. We dominated more in the second half, we posed more of a threat in their half. They all dropped back and it became harder to break through".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZIILf4aNy4
"We knew they'd be fully charged for the tie, they were out to book their place in the top-six playoff. We knew it would be an aggressive match and that the grass would be dry and that they were hoping for a slower pace to the game. Any time we drop points it's disapponting, whether Kiryat Shmona win or lose. We're a team that want to win every time out, we believe our fate is in our own hands, that we have to take all three points from every outing".
Maccabi head coach Pako Ayestaran was asked if his team's overall performance might not have been what he expected of them: "Not the first half, yes, I would like to continue seeing them like in the second half. In the second half I think we had control, we pushed them in their own half and we were not accurate enough in the last third. But we had enough opportunities at least to draw the game. I think a draw would be quite a fair result". To a further comment that his players looked somewhat casual out on the pitch, the Spaniard responded: "No. I think in the last twenty-five minutes of the game, did you see Beitar playing in our own half? Except the last three minutes I think we played in their own half. We were close enough to regain the ball, we arrived to the wide areas, we crossed. We didn't score but I think a draw would have been fair, but at the end fair or not, if you don't score at the end you lose the game. But I take the positive from the last twenty-five minutes of the game".
Despite the team's disappointment at missing the opportunity to increase their four-point lead at the top of the Israeli Premier League table, midfielder Gal Alberman said: "We wanted to take all three points and widen the gap, but apparently we didn't play well enough and the better team got the points. But increasing our lead is not our only concern, it wasn't before the game either. We knew it would be a tough match and we weren't able to produce our best game".
