Nosa Igiebor came back after being out injured for over two months to score the opening goal of the match but Barack Badash drew his side even a few minutes later as the match ended in a 1:1 draw.
Head Coach Peter Bosz didn’t have a number of his regular players available due to yellow card accumulation and injuries including Carlos Garcia, Barak Itzhaki and Orlando Sa as Dor Peretz, Avi Rikan and Shlomi Azulay were all handed a place in the Starting XI. Serbian keeper Predrag Rajikovic started in goal with Eli Dasa, Eitan Tibi, Peretz and Rikan in front of him. Gal Alberman, Haris Medunjanin and Azulay featured in the midfield while Dor Micha, Tal Ben Chaim and the Captain Eran Zahavi provided the attack.
After three straight goalless league matches, Maccabi looked to strike early and often as Ben Chaim and Micha combined for a beauty of chance in the 2nd minute but the latter’s header went out. Ten minutes later Azulay tried his hand with a long effort from 20 meters out but his opportunity went over the bar.
As the match hit the quarter hour, Zahavi took a Micha cross and headed it towards the Raanana goal but keeper Arik Yanko grabbed the ball while the Captain’s effort three minutes later from a Medunjanin cross also met Yanko as the match remained 0:0. The Yellow-and-Blue had back to back chances in the 37th and 38th minutes but Yanko was again up to the task pushing away Azulay’s effort from close in and Zahavi’s terrific low shot went just wide of the right post as the half ended 0:0.
As the over 4,000 traveling away fans continued to urge Maccabi on Ben Chaim opened the second half by unleashing a vicious strike to the left of the goal but his effort went over the bar. Medunjanin tried his luck in the 52nd minute but his floater was easily caught by Yanko.
Mamadou Chiam gave Raanana their first real chance of the match but Rajikovic was up to the task blocking his quality shot in the box for a corner in the 54th minute. Medujanin took a great ball on the attacking area turned and shot by Yanko was there one again to deny the Yellow-and-Blue.
Nosa Igiebor was introduced for Azulay in the 58th minute as the Nigerian midfielder was asked to make a difference in his first League appearance since February 27th against Bnei Yehuda. And what a difference he would make as he headed the ball into the Raanana goal for a 1:0 lead in the 60th minute off of a Micha cross.
However, the lead wouldn’t last for long when ex-Maccabi striker Barak Badash slammed the ball home past Rajikovic to draw Raanana even at 1:1 in the 64th minute. Ten minutes later Medunjanin hit the right post off of a fantastic Zahavi corner as Maccabi continued to search for a goal to take the lead.
Head Coach Peter Bosz made his second substitute of the match in the 77th minute as Eden Ben Basat replaced Dor Peretz leaving Maccabi with three defenders in the back. Zahavi’s 16 meter chance in the 80th minute couldn’t beat Yanko as the match ended in a 1:1 draw leaving the Yellow-and-Blue 5 points out of first place with two matches remaining in the season.
