The Yellow & Blue wrapped up a tidy 4:0 victory over Hapoel Haifa on Matchday 24 of the Israel Premier League Ligat Ha’Al and moved into first place with Hapoel Beer Sheva and Beitar Jerusalem who are currently in 2nd and 3rd places respectively, squaring off on Sunday night. Nick Blackman opened the scoring while Jose Rodriguez added a brace in his return to the Starting XI. Substitute Ofir Davidzada scored the final goal in the 83’ to put a bow on a beautiful 4:0 win.

Jordi Cruyff’s Starting XI included keeper Predrag Rajikovic, Eli Dasa, Yuval Shpungin, Jean-Sylvain Babin, Eitan Tibi, Dor Peretz, Dor Micha (C), Jose Rodriguez, Avi Rikan, Nick Blackman and Aaron Schoenfeld.

Available on the bench were keeper Daniel Tenenbaum, Vidar Kjartansson, Barak Itzhaki, Eliran Atar, Tal Ben Haim, Ofir Davidzada and Cristian Battocchio.

First Half
Maccabi’s first chance came in the 6’ when Dasa crossed the ball into the box to Schoenfeld but the striker headed it over the bar while a minute later the right back again sent a beauty of a cross to Rikan but the midfielder put his effort over the goal. In the 9’ Dasa again was in on the action and sent the ball to Blackman but his 25’ shot was saved by Ernestas Setkus.

Finally after a number of tremendous chances by Maccabi, Blackman headed home a gorgeous ball from Rikan to give the Yellow & Blue a 1:0 advantage in the 13’. Over the next 20 minutes the sides exchanged play primarily in the midfield as things looked to have settled down.

However, after back and forth passes between Dasa and Blackman, the latter dropped the ball back to Rodriguez who launched a laser beam of a shot from the right side that beat Setkus to the far corner for a 2:0 Maccabi lead in the 33’. Schoenfeld sent the ball to Rikan in the 40’ but #22’s attempt missed the target as the host’s took a 2:0 advantage into the break.

Second Half
Maccabi looked to add to the lead and in the 50’ Micha sent Rikan a pass but the latter put the ball over the bar while four minutes later, Haifa had a chance to cut the lead but Turgeman’s header missed the mark. In the 56’ the Yellow & Blue again threatened the Haifa goal as Micha gave the ball to Tibi on the right but the central defender’s shot went way over the goal.

But Rodriguez made sure to put the ball behind Setkus in the 61’ for a 3:0 lead. Dasa sent a magnificent through ball to Blackman who passed it back to an oncoming Rodriguez who in turn put it by the Haifa keeper for his second of the match. In the 69’ Cristian Battocchio came on for Rodriguez who left the pitch to a standing ovation by the crowd while three minutes later Eliran Atar replaced Blackman.

Ofir Davidzada entered the contest for Dasa in the 78’ as Cruyff used his third and final substitute of the match and with his first attempt on goal six minutes later he made it 4:0 for the Yellow & Blue. Schoenfeld sent a fantastic through ball to Atar, but his attempt was stopped by Setkus, however, Davidzada gobbled up the rebound and put the ball into the back of the goal as Maccabi wrapped up the win and moved into first place with Hapoel Beer Sheva playing Beitar Jerusalem on Sunday night.