The Yellow & Blue opened their Israel Premier League Ligat Ha’Al season with a disappointing 3:0 loss to Beitar Jerusalem on Matchday 1 at the Netanya Stadium. Itay Shechter starred for the visitors as he put back his own missed penalty for the first goal and scored from the top of the box for his second marker with both strikes coming in the first half. Idan Vered added a late goal to help Beitar to the win. Maccabi will now prepare in earnest for the 2nd leg of their Europa League Playoff Round tie against Altach on Thursday August 24th.
Head Coach Jordi Cruyff’s Starting XI included Serbian keeper Predrag Rajikovic with a defensive quartet of Yuval Shpungin, Eitan Tibi, Egor Filipenka and Ofir Davidzada. Captain Sheran Yeini was in the defensive midfielder position with Dor Peretz and Dor Micha by his side as Omer Atzili, Barak Itzhaki and Vidar Kjartansson provided the attack.
Available on the bench were keeper Daniel Tenenbaum, Sagiv Yehezkel, Avi Rikan, Aaron Schoenfeld, Tal Ben Haim, Cristian Battocchio and Tino Susic.
First Half
Maccabi looked to get onto the scoresheet first as Atzili took an 18 meter shot in the opening minute but Boris Kleiman, the Beitar keeper made the stop. In the ‘7 Peretz’s attempt was parried by Kleiman right to Kjartansson but the Icelander’s weak header went right into the waiting hands of the Beitar shot stopper once again.
Two minutes later Beitar was awarded a penalty as Rajikovic pulled down Itay Shechter in the box and was issued a yellow card. Rajikovic made the initial stop on Schecter’s spot kick but he put his own rebound behind the Maccabi keeper for 1:0 lead. In the ‘17 Peretz was handed a yellow card from referee Liran Liani as Maccabi began pressing for the equalizer.
Atzili’s ‘22 attempt was thwarted by Kleiman while at the other end of the pitch Ezra almost got by the Yellow & Blue defense but was stopped by Shpungin just in time to end the threat. However, Shechter would add to the Beitar lead as he beat a Maccabi player at the top of the box and slotted home the ball past a helpless Rajikovic for a 2:0 advantage.
Two minutes later Shpungin was issued a yellow card while Ezra made Rajikovic work again in the Maccabi goal in the ‘40 as the keeper made the stop to keep the deficit as is. Itzhaki was handed a yellow card just before the break as the sides headed into the half with Beitar maintaining a 2:0 lead.
Second Half
Maccabi held possession throughout the first ten minutes of the half and had a wonderful chance in the ‘55 as Atzili fed Vidar the ball but his attempt went wide of the target. Former Maccabi midfielder Yossi Benayoun came on for Hen Ezra in the ‘58 while Maccabi made a pair of substitutions three minutes later as Aaron Schoenfeld and Cristian Battocchio were introduced in favor of Itzhaki and Peretz.
Atzili’s ‘62 free kick was headed beautifully by Filipenka but his effort missed the target by inches while number 7’s ‘68 minute corner kick found Vidar in the box but his header also missed by a hair as Maccabi came closer and closer to scoring. Micha’s long effort in the ‘75 was collected by Kleiman as Sagiv Yehezkel was introduced for Atzili a minute later. However, it would be Beitar who found the goal late in the match as Idan Vered scored from in close against Rajikovic in the ‘90 to give the visitors a 3:0 opening Matchday victory.
Maccabi Tel Aviv will now prepare to host Altach in the Europa League Playoff Round 2nd leg at the Netanya Stadium on Thursday August 24th.
