With Maccabi's home play-off tie against Beitar Jerusalem just around the corner, it's time to look back at some of the most spectacular encounters between the two clubs in recent years. Part two of a series
Season 2002/03, gameweek 31: Beitar Jerusalem – Maccabi Tel Aviv 2-3
Having dropped two precious points the previous week with a goalless draw against Maccabi Petach Tikva, and with Maccabi Haifa snapping at their heels at the top of the Israeli Premier League, Maccabi Tel Aviv headed for the nation's capital to face Beitar Jerusalem at "Teddy" Stadium. Head coach Nir Klinger's squad were well aware that nothing short of victory would keep them at the top of the heap and hold them on course for the league title. So were the some 8,000 fans that crowded into "Teddy" to see if the aspiring champions were up to the job.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-zJe2Hm7Ms
The match opened with neither side holding the upper hand, but on 33 minutes Beitar were a goal to the good courtesy of defender David Amsalam. Maccabi's back line had hardly caught their breath when a minute later Andrzej Kobika found another hole in the visitors' defence and doubled the home-side advantage to 2-0. Just before the half, when victory looked further off than ever, Maccabi were gifted an own goal that brought them back into the match at 2-1.
After the break, an entirely different looking Maccabi side took to the pitch, with Maccabi's legendary goalscorer Avi Nimni leading the way. Just short of the hour mark he brought Maccabi level at 2-2 with a characteristic personal effort that ended in an unstoppable strike from the edge of the area. And eleven minutes later he completed his brace, pouncing on a fracas in front of the Beitar goal and poking the ball home to complete the turnaround and a 2-3 Maccabi victory that had the visiting fans already dreaming of the title trophy.
And indeed, at the end of one of the most exciting seasons in Israeli Premier league history, Maccabi Tel Aviv won the championship from Maccabi Haifa, on goal difference alone.
