The Yellow & Blue defeated Bnei Yehuda 2:0 on Matchday 36 of the Israel Premier League Ligat Ha’Al as the season came to a close with Maccabi locking up 2nd place. Omer Atzily scored a first half penalty while Gidi Kanuk found the back of the goal for his first marker with Maccabi to give Head Coach Jordi Cruyff a win in his last match with the Club.
Jordi Cruyff’s final Starting XI included keeper Predrag Rajikovic, Eli Dasa, Jean-Sylvain Babin, Tal Ben Haim, Ofir Davidzada, Sheran Yeini (C), Avi Rikan, Dor Peretz, Eyal Golasa, Omer Atzily and Aaron Schoenfeld.
Available on the bench were keeper Haviv Ohayon, Eitan Tibi, Dor Micha, Gidi Kanuk, Eliran Atar, Vidar Kjartansson and Nick Blackman.
First Half
Atzily had Maccabi’s first chance of the match in 8’ when he took a Schoenfeld pass on the left wing but just missed the far right hand corner of the Bnei Yehuda goal while two minutes later Dasa crossed the ball into the box from the right side to an awaiting Davidzada but his shot went wildly over the goal.
In the 17’ Yarden Shoa came in on the right wing and put a dangerous shot into the box but the ball hit the bar and made its way to safety. Atzily tried his luck from long distance but missed the mark in the 20’ and three minutes later Kandil’s chance was collected by Rajikovic. Dasa crossed the ball to Schoenfeld into the box, but his header just went wide in the 24’ and two minutes later a Habshi hand ball in the Bnei Yehuda box handed Maccabi the chance to take the lead via a penalty.
Atzliy stepped up to take the spot kick and made no mistake as he sent a missile into the top left hand corner of the goal for a 1:0 Maccabi advantage. Schoenfeld left Rikan the ball in the 36’ but his attempt went by the post and in the 43’ Shoa sent the ball to Mavis Tchibota on the left but his shot hit the outside netting of the goal as the Yellow & Blue took a 1:0 lead into the break.
Second Half
After 13 minutes of back and forth play, Maccabi made their first substitution of the contest as Gidi Kanuk came on for Rikan as the Yellow & Blue looked for an insurance marker. Ben Haim took a 25’ chance after a rebound off a corner but Zoubas made the save in the 61’ while in the 69’ Yonatan Cohen’s effort for the host’s just grazed the right post and went out.
Maccabi and Bnei Yehuda traded chances and in the 75’ Eliran Atar entered the match for Atzily while Kanuk’s attempt was taken care of by Zoubas four minutes later. However, Kanuk’s next chance found the back of the goal as the midfielder’s left footed shot beat the host keeper as Zoubas dove helplessly to his left to give Maccabi a 2:0 lead in the 79’. Eitan Tibi came on for Golasa in the 83’ for the Yellow & Blue’s 3rd and final substitute as Maccabi wrapped up a 2:0 win in Jordi Cruyff’s final match with the Club.
