Maccabi's Spanish keeper Juan Pablo is ready for tonight's home play-off tie against Beitar Jerusalem
All is ready for Maccabi Tel Aviv's 8.15pm kick-off at Bloomfield Stadium against Beitar Jerusalem. After having already played two league ties against the team from the nation's capital without registering a victory, head coach Pako Ayestaran's squad are hoping the home-field advantage will provide them with the edge in tonight's encounter.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oP-s0gZDpm8
Asked in an interview with the Maccabi website crew if he felt his team were going into the home straight of the 2014/15 season in their best form, Maccabi keeper Juan Pablo responded: "Always you can do better, but I think the way is good. We are in the first position, I think the team are doing the right things. We know that it's not finished, we have to play a few games more, but we are close to our target, as a team. And myself, as I told you, I think I can do better but I'm happy, and I am working to do my best, every game".
As for not having beaten Beitar in two disappointing league encounters so far this season, the Spaniard replied: "Yes, but every game is different and this is why we are working. And in football it's the truth – every game is different so now we have to play again and we'll see what happens. Always when we play at Bloomfield for us it's the best thing. We play in front of our fans, it's our stadium, it's our pitch. I think the grass is the best one, it helps us a lot. So I think it will be a difficult game of course but I think we have a chance to get the three points. I think we are right in a good performance, but not only now. During the season I think we did too, we were doing good things. It's true that our shape is good but as I told you before it's not finished, so we have to keep working to try to get all the points that we can. After that we'll see if we are close to our target. We'll see".
Maccabi Tel Aviv Football Club look forward to the continued support of all our supporters, including at Sunday night's game against Beitar Jerusalem. The club in general, and the players in particular, are proud of Maccabi's record of condemning any forms of violence or racism, both in and outside the stadium. We feel confident that our most treasured fans unequivocally share those sentiments and will act in accordance with them.
