The Yellow & Blue were knocked out of the Israel State Cup competition in the Round of 16 after falling to Maccabi Haifa 3:0. Roie Kehat, Sintayehu Sallalich and Nikita Rukavytsya all scored in the second half for the host’s as Maccabi will now turn their attention to the Israel Premier League Ligat Ha’Al and Bnei Yehuda on Matchday 20 this coming Sunday evening at the Moshava Stadium.
Jordi Cruyff’s Starting XI included keeper Predrag Rajikovic, Eli Dasa, Jean-Sylvain Babin, Eitan Tibi, Sheran Yeini (C), Eyal Golasa, Dor Peretz, Dor Micha, Nick Blackman, Avi Rikan and Vidar Kjartansson.
Available on the bench were keeper Daniel Tenenbaum, Tal Ben Haim, Barak Itzhaki, Aaron Schoenfeld, Ofir Davidzada, Cristian Battocchio, Eliran Atar.
First Half
Rikan tested Haifa keeper Omri Glazer from 25 meters out in the 2’ but the Green’s shot stopper was up to the task early on. Sintayehu Sallalich tried to slice his way through the Maccabi midfield but Captain Sheran Yeini stopped him cold in his tracks and cleared the ball to safety in the 9’. Gal Alberman launched a laser beam towards Rajikovic that the shot stopper was able to tip away at the last second in the 14’ while the ensuing corner was headed by Omri Ben Harush but his attempt went over the bar as Haifa looked to find the first marker of the match.
Maccabi began heating up in the driving rain in the 25’ but Kjartansson and Rikan’s attempts in the box were blocked by Haifa, while Dasa lifted a ball to Vidar in the box but the Icelander’s header was just off the mark a minute later. In the 31’ Roie Kehat was about to slot the ball behind Rajikovic but Peretz came in to push it away to safety and one minute later Mabouka crossed the ball into the box off the right wing to Klaus but the striker’s chance missed wide right.
In the 34’ Golasa tried his luck from 25 meters away but the ball missed the target while Blackman’s attempt five minutes later flew over the goal. Ofir Davidzada entered the match in the 42’ due to an injury to Dasa as the half ended 0:0.
Second Half
Maccabi looked to break the deadlock as Peretz put the ball over the Haifa goal in the 48’ after Micha had done some fancy footwork against Ben Harush. Micha crossed the ball into the box from the right in the 52’ but just before Vidar could get to it, Glazer made the grab. However, it would be Haifa who would take the lead in the 54’ as Roie Kehat pounced on a rebound which he put behind Rajikovic for a 1:0 advantage.
Haifa added another goal just 4 minutes later when they took control of the ball at midfield which sent Nikita Rukavytsya and Sintayehu Sallalich on a break towards the Maccabi goal as the latter scored for a 2:0 lead. Cruyff made his second substitution of the evening when he inserted Barak Itzhaki for Rikan as Maccabi looked for their first goal of the match.
Golasa sent a ball from 25’ meters towards Glazer in the 65’ but the Haifa shot stopper made the save while Eliran Atar came on for Micha in 72’. Just one minute later Rukavytsya had a terrific chance to give Haifa a 3:0 lead but his attempt went off the bar. Peretz was issued a yellow card in the 75’ and a minute later Haifa went on a counterattack that resulted in a Rukavytsya goal for the left wing for a 3:0 lead. Golasa was issued a yellow card in the 89’ as the contest came to a 3:0 unhappy end for the Yellow & Blue as they were eliminated from the State Cup competition for 2017/18.
