The Yellow-and-Blue and Maccabi Haifa have a very rich history that has gone on for decades. Bloomfield, Kiryat Eliezer and now Sammy Ofer have hosted many matches that will be etched in the memories of the fans forever. This Sunday, the Israeli Classico will take place once again and now is the perfect time to take a trip down memory lane to remember some of the great matches between Maccabi Tel Aviv and Maccabi Haifa.
The 2002/03 season was one of the closest ever in Israeli football history. The two sides battled head to head all season long in a year that the Yellow-and-Blue also took part in an unsuccessful European campaign. On Matchday Three, Nir Klinger’s Tel Aviv side hosted the club from Haifa but fell on Giovanni Rosso’s goal.
The league continued to be neck and neck and on Matchday 14, Maccabi visited the Greens at Kiryat Eliezer in one of the most unforgettable games between the two teams. In the 11th minute, Maccabi was awarded a penalty after a handball in the Haifa box. Baruch Dego stepped up to take the spot kick and kicked the ball off of the post and into the goal. Nothing seemed to go easy for Maccabi as Haifa answered back very quickly when Nigerian Aiyegbeni Yakubu drew his side even in the 14th minute.
The second half began with Baruch Dego leading a counter attack in the 46th minute when he sent a perfect ball to Andreas Prohonenkovs who was all alone in front of keeper Dudu Aoute. The Latvian made sure that Aoute would have no chance to make the save and gave his side the lead. Maccabi was able to hold the advantage until the 81st minute when Adoram Keise headed in a perfect ball to tie up the match once more.
The game looked to be heading towards a 2:2 draw until it was time for Amir Turgeman to put his mark on the match. The striker, who had come on for Rodrigo Goldberg, flicked Liran Strauber’s goalie kick with his head. Prohonenkovs raced downfield with the ball and took Arik Benado with him. His cross went to an awaiting Turgeman who scored the winner in the 84th minute giving Maccabi the win over Haifa in a key match that eventually helped the Yellow-and-Blue to the championship.
