Vidar Kjartansson scored a first half goal to give Maccabi Tel Aviv the lead but second half goals by Maor Melikson and John Ogu sealed the victory and their second straight league championship.
Prematch
Head Coach Lito Vidigal’s Starting XI included Serbian keeper Predrag Rajikovic along with Yuval Shpungin, Tal Ben Haim, Egor Filipenka and Captain Sheran Yeini. Gal Alberman, Eyal Golasa and Yossi Benayoun patrolled the midfield while Dor Micha, Tal Ben Chaim and Vidar Kjartansson played up front.
Available on the bench were keeper Daniel Lifshitz, Avi Rikan, Aaron Schoenfeld, Eliel Peretz, Eitan Tibi, Sagiv Yehezkel and Ruben Micael.
First Half
Hapoel Beer Sheva had an early chance when Ben Sahar headed the ball to a waiting Rajikovic as both sides played tentative football over the first 10 minutes while Ben Haim and Ben Bitton each picked up yellow cards. Rajiko had to be up to the task in the 17th minute when he charged out to take away another Sahar chance while five minutes later Nwakaeme’s opportunity was grabbed by the Serbian shot stopper as Beer Sheva continued to press for a goal.
However, it would be Kjartansspn who would break the ice just a minute later when he took a fabulous back heel pass from Benayoun and scored from in close to give the Yellow & Blue a 1:0 lead.
Beer Sheva looked to equalize but came up short on two opportunities in the 27th and 33rd minutes. Nwakaeme had a 37th counter attack effort that went over the goal while Micha’s 39th minute shot was saved. Seconds later, Number 15 would then pick up a yellow card after a foul on John Ogu as the match headed into the break with Maccabi sporting a 1:0 advantage.
Second Half
Sahar had the second half’s first chance but Rajikovic again made the save in the 53rd minute and three minutes later Micha hit the post as his opportunity just came up short. However, Beer Sheva made the most of their chance just a minute later as Maor Melikson took a Michael Ohana pass and scored to draw his side even at 1:1. Melikson was issued a yellow card for removing his shirt.
Ben Chaim was replaced by Sagiv Yehezkel in the 63rd minute while Ruben Micael came on for Benayoun ten minutes later as Maccabi looked for a go ahead goal. But it was almost Ohana who gave the visitors the lead, however Rajiko made yet another amazing save in the 78the minute.
Yehezkel unleashed a 20 meter bullet in the 83rd minute but the ball just clanged off of the post while four minutes later Aaron Schoenfeld replaced Kjartansson. With both sides looking for a goal it would be Beer Sheva who would find it in the 89th minute as John Ogu scored on a rebound off of a Elyaniv Barda shot to give the visitors a 2:1 advantage as they wrapped up the win and their second league championship in a row.
