Maccabi Tel Aviv played their first match of the Israel State Cup tournament, entering the competition in the Round of 32 where they visited Leumit League side Ramat HaSharon. In a match filled with penalty kicks, it was Maccabi who came out on top. 
Barak Itzhaki and Eran Zahavi converted their spot kicks for the Yellow-and-Blue as Yossi Shivchon would turn the trick for Ramat HaSharon. Eden Ben Basat scored the winner in the 71st minute helping his side advance to the Round of 16 of the Israel State Cup competition.
New Head Coach, Peter Bosz changed up his starting lineup from last match in the WINNER League giving the rest of his squad a chance to get some playing time. Daniel Lifshitz started in goal while Yoav Ziv, Tal Ben Haim, Dor Peretz and acting captain Carlos Garcia played in front of the shot stopper. Eden Ben Basat, Barak Itzhaki and Dejan Radonjic played up front with a midfielder corps consisting of Avi Rikan, Shlomi Azulay and Gili Vermouth.
The Yellow-and-Blue started out strong as Vermouth had a couple of chances in the opening ten minutes but both of his efforts couldn’t find the back of Ramat HaSharon goal. However, just a minute later it was Itzhaki who put the ball behind Golan Elkaslasi on a penalty kick called after a foul in the box by Mor Tzur to give Maccabi a 1:0 lead.
The two sides traded chances as Ben Ben Yair produced an opportunity from 17 meters 
out for the Sharon team in the 25th minute but Lifshitz, the Yellow-and-Blue’s second choice keeper made the save to preserve the slim lead. Ben Basat’s effort missed the target and Elkaslasi saved Radonjic’s chance while Kobi Musa’s screamer just went wide of the Maccabi goal as the teams headed into the break.
After a quiet opening to the second half, Maccabi coach Peter Bosz made a double 
substitution in the 65th minute bringing on Dor Micha and Eran Zahavi for Vermouth and Radonjic to help jump start the offense. But instead Ramat HaSharon were awarded a penalty of their own after a Ziv foul in the box. Ex-Maccabi man Yossi Shivchon stepped up for the spot kick and converted from 11 meters to draw the second division side even.
However, it wouldn’t stay tied for long as Ben Basat scored from the top of the box to give the Yellow-and-Blue a 2:1 lead in the 71st minute. Zahavi added an insurance goal from a penalty after Ben Basat was pulled down in the Ramat HaSharon box to give the defending State Cup Champions the 3:1 lead and the win.
Maccabi Tel Aviv will now move on to the Round of 16 and play at Rishon Le’Zion on either January 26/27, This coming Monday evening the Yellow-and-Blue will take a trip up the coast to face Hapoel Acre on Matchday 19 of the WINNER League.
