As Monday night's play-off game against Hapoel Beer Sheva rapidly approaches, let's take a short trip down memory lane to some of Maccabi's most historic ever encounters with the Israeli Premier League's southernmost competitor
Tomorrow at 8.55pm, Maccabi Tel Aviv will host Hapoel Beer Sheva for their second of ten Israeli Premier ("Winner") League top-six playoff matches. In recent years this particular match-up has become a title-chasing event and a tense contest, but let's have another look at some earlier encounters between the two clubs that have brought sparkle to Maccabi's illustrious past.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1B1P_F2gTn0
The prestigious victory – 2002/2003: An important win on the road to the title
The season is 2002/2003. Maccabi are in the throes of a traditional three-way title fight with Maccabi Haifa and Hapoel Tel Aviv. Head coach Nir Klinger's side have twice met their southern rivals, led by the late Lupa Kadosh, and twice met with defeat. Six games from the end of the season Hapoel Beer Sheva returned to Bloomfield Stadium.
Maccabi striker Amir Turjeman opened the match brilliantly and on 21 minutes sent the Bloomfield terraces alight with a goal. Kadosh's side managed to equalise on 64 minutes, but just as the Maccabi faithful began to fear for yet another points' loss to Beer Sheva, striker Rodrigo Goldberg beat keeper Assi Rahamim on 71 minutes and earned the home side a precious victory. That season would end in a most dramatic fashion, with Maccabi Tel Aviv winning the title on goal difference alone.
The big victory – 1995/1996: Maccabi thrash Hapoel Beer sheva 5-0 at Bloomfield
The 1995/1996 season saw Maccabi register one of their most impressive ever victories over Hapoel Beer Sheva. In gameweek 23 the southerners arrived at Bloomfield Stadium and encountered a Maccabi side in superlative form. Maccabi's Belarussian striker Yevgeni Kashentsev scored a hat-trick and Avi Nimni and Eli Dricks added individual efforts as Maccabi racked up five goals in a 5-0 rout, a feat the team had earlier achieved against Hapoel Zafririm Holon.
The historic victory – 1994/1995: Alon Brumer heads Maccabi to the championship
The 1994/1995 season. Saturday afternoon. Beer Sheva's Wassermill Stadium. Last game of a season whose title would end in a photo-finish that to this day is regarded as one of the most exciting in Israeli football history. Maccabi Tel Aviv go into the match leading Maccabi Haifa by two points. Hapoel Beer Sheva are in third position and are a formidable home side for Maccabi Tel Aviv to face with title race still so close. Maccabi Haifa on the other hand are facing Hapoel Beit Shaan, who are hovering above the relegation zone.
Maccabi hadn't won the title in three years and the fans were determined to put an end to the drought. They flocked to Beer Sheva in their thousands, filling Wassermill with the traditional yellow-and-blue. It proved to be a tense encounter, punctuated by occasional shouts from the terraces that echoed the developments from Haifa's Kiryat Eliezer Stadium. Maccabi stars Nir Klinger, Nir Sivilia and Avi Nimni repeatedly attacked the opposition goal, but to no avail. Then, a minute from the break, Nir Klinger sent an angled free kick into the area and defender Alon Brumer headed in to send the visiting crowd into wild celebrations. Maccabi held on to their 0-1 margin so that even minnow Beit Shaan's come-from-behind victory in Haifa made little difference. Maccabi Tel Aviv were champions once again, the 17th league title in club history.
The debutant's victory – 1994/1995: Ben Luz scores again to become an official hit at Maccabi
Earlier in the 1994/1995 season. Two weeks prior to the Maccabi's first-round encounter with Beer Sheva, Maccabi revealed a great talent that had developed in their academy. Just sixteen years old, Ben Luz pitched up for his first senior team appearance in a first-round match against Maccabi Petach Tikva and scored his first goal, the matchwinner. Two weeks later Maccabi were hosting Hapoel Beer Sheva and a three-sided move between Yevgeni Kashentsev, Eli Dricks and Luz resulted in a Luz's final shot that slammed into the Beer Sheva goal. Again this promising discovery from the Maccabi academy had provided the matchwinner.
