The Yellow & Blue took home a point at Bnei Yehuda on Matchday 20 of the Israel Premier League Ligat Ha’Al as the side’s drew 0:0 at the Moshava Stadium. Maccabi Tel Aviv will now get ready for next week’s top of the table battle against Hapoel Beer Sheva.
Head Coach Jordi Cruyff’s Starting XI included Serbian keeper Predrag Rajikovic, Yuval Shpungin, Jean-Sylvain Babin, Eitan Tibi, Ofir Davidzada, Eyal Golasa, Cristian Battocchio, Avi Rikan, Dor Micha (C), Nick Blackman, Vidar Kjartansson.
Available on the bench were keeper Daniel Tenenbaum, Jose Rodriguez, Barak Itzhaki, Sheran Yeini, Eliran Atar, Aaron Schoenfeld, Or Dasa.
First Half
Maccabi began looking for a goal early on in the contest when Vidar’s 4’ attempt went out for a corner while Davidzada’s 8’ chance went into a Bnei Yehuda defender and out. Rikan tried a volley in the 12’ and Golasa’s 17 meter strike four minutes later just went wide of the left post. The host’s had their first chance a minute later when Gordana’s shot went over the bar.
In the 33’ Rikan had a superb chance from close in but Zoubas made the stop while Vidar’s follow up on the rebound went out. Maccabi got closer when Battocchio’s free kick went to Blackman in the box but his header went off the inside of the left post and out to safety in the 36’ as the half ended goalless.
Second Half
Bnei Yehuda keeper Emilius Zoubas was handed a yellow card for time wasting in the 53’ while a Nerijis Valksis counter attack saw his shot hit the outside of the goal three minutes later. In the 58’ Rikan was issued a yellow card and five minutes later Eliran Atar was the first Maccabi substitute coming on for Vidar Kjartansson.
Eliel Peretz, loaned out from Maccabi took a quality shot from the top left of the box but Rajikovic was up to the task in the 72’ while Barak Itzhaki entered the contest for Rikan. Aaron Schoenfeld came on 8 minutes later for Blackman as Cruyff freshened up his offense. Atar took a half volley from the left of the box that Zoubas just got a hand on in the 91’ as the referee added 5 minutes of injury time.
Micha was issued a yellow card for obstruction a few seconds later as Maccabi searched for a winner. Mavis Tchibota took a laser beam of a shot in the 93’ but the ball went wide left of the goal as the match came to a 0:0 end.
