Maccabi Tel Aviv fell to Beitar Jerusalem 3:2 on Matchday 30 of the Israel Premier League Ligat Ha’Al at Teddy Stadium in the capital city. Claudemir Perrera, Hen Ezra and Jakub Sylvestr scored the host’s as Omer Atzily found the back of the goal via a penalty in his return match while Kjartansson cut the lead to 3:2 in the second half. The Yellow & Blue host Bnei Yehuda on Saturday night at 20:30 on Matchday 31.
Maccabi Tel Aviv unveiled their Special Blue & White 70th Israel Yom Haatzmaut Independence Day Shirt for the match.
Head Coach Jordi Cruyff’s Starting XI included: Predrag Rajikovic, Eli Dasa, Tal Ben Haim (C), Jean Sylvain Babin, Yuval Shpungin, Dor Peretz, Eyal Golasa, Cristian Battocchio, Omer Atzili, Aaron Schoenfeld, Vidar Kjartansson.
Available on the bench were: Daniel Tenenbaum, Nick Blackman, Dor Micha, Eliran Atar, Gidi Kanuk, Eitan Tibi, Ofir Davidzada.
First Half
Beitar had the match’s first chance in the 4’ via Arik Sabo but his attempt went over the goal as the game settled down and was played primary in the midfield over the next twenty minutes. However, Dasa was issued a yellow card at the top of the Maccabi box setting up a Claudemir Perrera free kick that he sent into the top right hand corner, beating Rajikovic for a 1:0 Beitar advantage.
Hen Ezra took a long low liner towards the goal in the 33’ as Rajikovic made the save, but a minute later the aforementioned Ezra scored as the ball deflected off of Dasa after taking an Antoine Conte ball to give the host’s a 2:0 lead.
Maccabi looked to cut the lead and they did so a minute later when Schoenfeld was knocked down in the box good for a penalty that Omer Atzily duly converted, 2:1 Beitar in the 35’. With the game being played at a frantic pace, the host’s regained their 2-goal advantage as Jakub Sylvestr took an Idan Vered cross and headed the ball behind Rajikovic, 3:1 Beitar as the half came to an end.
Second Half
Cruyff made his first substitution of the contest when he replaced Shpungin with Ofir Davidzada. Atzily had Maccabi’s opening chance in the 47 while Battocchio followed that up with a screamer that deflected off the bar in the 50’ and went out. Schoenfeld had a chance in the box 6 minutes later but his attempt went off a Beitar defender good for a corner.
But two minutes later and the next time Schoenfeld touched the ball he gave a beauty of a pass to Vidar in the box that the Icelander clinically put behind the Beitar keeper Boris Kleiman to cut the host’s lead to 3:2. Golasa almost drew Maccabi even a minute later but his scorcher went over the bar.
In the 61’ Golasa found Vidar in the box however, his header went just wide left of the goal as the Yellow & Blue looked for the equalizer. Eliran Atar came on for Atzily in the 69’ and Gidi Kanuk entered the match for Battocchio. Atar launched a missile in the 84’ that went wide right of the goal as the match ended in a 3:2 win for Beitar.
