Maccabi Tel Aviv and Hapoel Tel Aviv met in the Derby for the first time since January 2017 when the Yellow & Blue won 1:0 in the Israel Premier League Ligat Ha’Al. This time around, Maccabi again was victorious as Yonatan Cohen scored a brace while Shahar Piven and Chico Ofoedu each scored a lone goal in the 4:1 which helped the club advance to the Toto Cup Finals.
Vladimir Ivic’s side welcomed the Reds for a Toto Cup semifinal clash at the Netanya Stadium and the Head Coach’s Starting XI included keeper Predrag Rajkovic, Maor Kandil, Jair Amador, Shahar Piven, Captain Sheran Yeini, Avi Rikan, Eyal Golasa, Dan Glazer, Yonatan Cohen, Aaron Schoenfeld and Itay Shechter.
Available on the bench were keeper Haviv Ohayon, Enric Saborit, Omer Atzily, Chico Ofoedu, Dor Micha, Eitan Tibi, Ruslan Barsky.
First Half
The hotly contested match began with each side collecting a yellow card as Raz Shlomo and Piven were booked early on. The Yellow & Blue had a couple of chances in the first quarter hour, however Schoenfeld and Cohen couldn’t find the back of the goal.
In the 25’ Hapoel took a 1:0 lead thanks to Ahmed Abed as he took a Roie Zikri pass and put it behind Rajkovic. Following a water break, Adi Gotlieb picked up a yellow card in the 34’ for the Reds as Maccabi continued to press for an equalizer. And just two minutes later, Cohen did exactly that as he took a stunning free kick from the top of the box and found the back of the goal, 1:1. Arik Janko made the 42’ save off yet another brilliant Cohen free kick as the side’s went into the break deadlocked at 1:1
Second Half
Maccabi looked to take the lead early on, but Glazer’s chance was saved by Janko in the 46’ while Razmi Sfori’s opportunity on the other side of the pitch missed the target. Ten minutes later, Chico Ofoedu entered the contest in favor of Itay Shechter and drew a corner kick that resulted in a goal of the season candidate. The ensuing corner went to Piven who took a volley from 35 meters out that made its way into the back of the Hapoel goal for a 2:1 lead.
Dor Micha came on for Golasa in the 60’ as the Yellow & Blue continued to pressure for an insurance goal which they would find in the 66’ as Ofoedu was pulled down in the box for a penalty that Cohen converted for his second of the contest and a 3:1 advantage. In the 69’ Eitan Tibi was introduced in favor of Amador.
Maccabi continued the flash the offense and scored their 4th marker of the match when Micha and Ofoedu combined on a Yellow & Blue fast break down the pitch as the latter found the back of the goal for his first with the club in the 82’. A minute later Enric Saborit came on for Cohen as the host’s wrapped up a tidy 4:1 win and advanced to the Toto Cup Finals.
