Just ahead of the Championship Playoff match against Maccabi Netanya on Tuesday, Maccabi Tel Aviv hosted Maccabi Petah Tikva for a friendly at Kiryat Shalom. Jordi Cruyff’s side won 3:1 thanks to goals by Barak Itzhaki, Aaron Schoenfeld and Omer Atzili who also recorded an assist while Eden Shrem scored for the visitors.
Starting XI: Daniel Tenenbaum, Yuval Shpungin, Tal Ben Haim, Jean-Sylvain Babin, Ofir Davidzada, Dor Peretz, Jose Rodriguez, Cristian Battocchio, Omer Atzili, Barak Itzhaki, Aaron Schoenfeld. Gidi Kanuk, Eyal Golasa, Avi Rikan, Eliran Atar, Eli Dasa, Dor Micha, Eitan Tibi, Nick Blackman and Tomer Altman also appeared.
First Half
Maccabi began the match well and took an early lead in the 3’ as Atzili sent a corner to Itzhaki who scored from 6 meters into the goal for a 1:0 advantage. The Yellow & Blue continued to play well and found the back of the goal for a second time in the 20’ when Peretz stole the ball in the midfield and sent it to Atzili. The midfielder went down the right wing, cut to the middle and with his left foot sent a scorcher of a strike from 17 meters into the goal. Itzhaki followed up in the 27’ by hitting the bar and in the 45’ the Petah Tikva keeper Yossi Ginzburg parried a screamer from long distance by Battocchio.
Second Half
The Yellow & Blue began the second half just as they did the first with a quick goal in the 48’ when Battocchio found Schoenfeld who scored to give Maccabi a 3:0 lead. In the 55’ Petah Tikva almost scored their first of the contest when Lidor Cohen hit the bar. Two minutes later Micha crossed a ball from the right which went to Atar, however his bicycle kick just missed the target.
In the 62’ Schoenfeld and Atar almost added to Cruyff’s squad’s advantage but their chances were saved by Ginzburg. However, ten minutes later Eden Shrem took a pass from Uri Magbo in the box and scored to cut the Maccabi lead to 3:1. Just before the end of the match Kanuk (87’) and a header by Blackman (89’) came up short as the host’s picked up the friendly victory.
