Maccabi Tel Aviv hosted Hungarian side Paksi FC at their Austria training camp for their second and final preseason exhibition match prior to beginning the 2016/17 campaign next Thursday against Gorica in Europa League first round qualifying.

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The Yellow & Blue’s Georgian Head Coach Shota Arveladze started Serbian keeper Predrag Rajikovic in goal with Omri Ben Harush, Carlos Garcia, Eitan Tibi and Dor Peretz in front of him. Eliel Peretz, Nosa Igiebor and acting captain Gal Alberman played in the midfield while Dor Micha, Tal Ben Chaim and Orlando Sa were up front.

First Half

After a quiet opening quarter hour an Orlando Sa right footed blast from the top of the box found its way into the Paksi goal beating the keeper to the left side good for a 1:0 Maccabi lead. Youngster Eliel Peretz picked off the ball in the midfield and fed Sa with the nice pass allowing the Portuguese striker a chance to continue his fine preseason form.

Paksi looked to even up the match with a 23rd minute free kick that was blocked by the Yellow & Blue good for a corner kick which in turn resulted for a quality chance by Zalei Andras but his effort defected off of the bar and out to keep the slim Maccabi lead intact.

Ben Harush lofted a 43rd minute free kick from the right side into the penalty area where Sa’s header was easily grabbed by Peter Molnar the Paksi keeper as the sides headed into the break with Maccabi maintaining a 1:0 advantage.

Second Half

Coach Arveladze made a pair of substitutions to open the second half as central defender Tal Ben Haim replaced Garcia and Barak Itzhaki came on for Eliel Peretz as Maccabi looked to open up the offense a bit. However, it was Paksi with the half’s first chance when Zsolt Balazs opportunity went off the post in the 51st minute.

With Maccabi in search of an insurance marker, Itzhaki’s 60th minute free kick curled over the goal to keep the score as is, while at the other end of the pitch Haviv Ohayon was introduced for Rajikovic. A couple of minutes later, Arveladze emptied his bench with Yossi Benayoun, Eden Ben Basat, Shlomi Azulay, Haris Medunjanin and Avi Rikan all coming into the match.

New keeper Ohayon was called into action in the 65th minute as the 17-year old shot stopper did exactly that on a short angle chance to keep Maccabi in the lead. Ten minutes later Ben Basat had a chance from 15 meters but his shot went wide left of the goal.

Dan Glazer came on for Eitan Tibi in the 81st minute as coach Arveladze continued to see some of his squad in match conditions as the match ended 1:0 in favor of Maccabi Tel Aviv.