The Yellow & Blue picked up a point in a goalless draw against Maccabi Petah Tikva at the Moshava Stadium as they will now prepare for the Toto Cup Final on Thursday night versus Hapoel Beer Sheva.
Head Coach Jordi Cruyff’s Starting Lineup featured Serbian keeper Predrag Rajikovic, Yuval Shpungin, Eitan Tibi, Jean-Sylvain Babin and Ofir Davidzada. Eyal Golasa, Jose Rodriguez, Avi Rikan, Dor Micha, Aaron Schoenfeld and Nick Blackman.
Available on the bench were keeper Daniel Lifshitz, Eli Dasa, Vidar Kjartansson, Barak Itzhaki, Eliran Atar, Tal Ben Haim, Dor Peretz.
First Half
Maccabi controlled the opening minutes of the match as Rikan had the Yellow & Blue’s first chance in the 4’, but his attempt from outside the box went off the near side of the goal and out. Two minutes later it was Rikan again who had a magnificent opportunity in the box thanks to superb play by Babin and Blackman on the right, but Tzachi Gigi made a brilliant save while Tibi’s bicycle kick seconds later was also cleared by the Petah Tikva shot stopper.
In the 13’ Rodriguez took an attempt from outside the box but Gigi was in place as both sides traded off play in the midfield for the next quarter hour. Petah Tikva had a good chance via Lidor Cohen in the 29’ but his attempt flew over the goal. Two minutes later Blackman’s header just cleared the bar as Babin and Golasa each picked up a yellow card in the 40’. Rikan had another chance from 16 meters in the 43’ as both sides went into the break goalless.
Second Half
Blackman had Maccabi’s first chance of the second half when he launched a laser beam over the bar in the 53’ while Cruyff made his first substitution four minutes later when he inserted Vidar Kjartansson in favor for Schoenfeld. Barak Itzhaki entered the contest in the 65’ as he replaced Rikan. Yaniv Brik almost broke the deadlock for Petah Tikva in the 72’ but his point black range chance was somehow stopped miraculously by Rajikovic.
In the 76’ Micha sent Vidar a ball in the box but his header missed the far post by centimeters and one minute later Eliran Atar came on for Jose Rodriguez to spark the offense. Atar put the ball off a defender that went out for a corner and Itzhaki volleyed the ensuing set piece just over the goal in the 80’ as Maccabi searched in earnest for a goal. Babin crosses a ball to Itzhaki, but #10 put it wide of the goal in injury time as the match ended in a goalless draw, 0:0.
