Maccabi Tel Aviv defeated Hapoel Raanana 2:0 on Matchday 16 of the Israel Premier League Ligat Japanika as Itay Shechter scored a first half goal and Dor Peretz who came on as a second half substitute found the back of the goal for the second strike in the victory.
Before the match the League Administration held a minute of silence to commemorate the passing of Israeli football and Maccabi Tel Aviv legend Sheya Glazer who passed away at the age of 91. The players wore black ribbons in his memory.
Head Coach Vladimir Ivic’s Starting XI included Predrag Rajkovic, Maor Kandil, Sheran Yeini, Shahar Piven, Enric Saborit, Dan Glazer, Ruslan Barsky, Dor Micha, Yonatan Cohen, Eliran Atar, Itay Shechter.
Available on the bench: Daniel Tenenbaum, Jair Amador, Eli Dasa, Dor Peretz, Avi Rikan, Chico Ofoedu, Aron Schoenfeld.
First Half
Maccabi began the match with a tremendous amount of pressure on the Raanana players and in the 10’ it almost paid off when Kandil sent a cross in the box to Atar but he missed the chance to give the Yellow & Blue the lead.
The wet and slick pitch along with the tight Raanana defense gave Maccabi a tough time but in the 38’ Shechter rose to the occasion and gave the visitor’s a 1:0 advantage as the striker put home a Kandil pass from 8 meters. In the 43’ Atar almost doubled the Yellow & Blue lead but his attempt to beat the keeper just missed as Ivic’s squad went into the break with a slim advantage.
Second Half
Maccabi made their first substitute 6 minutes into the half when Jair Amador entered the contest for an injured Piven. In the 52’ Atar again had a chance to score from the right side but his shot just missed the far left comer of the goal and went out while at the other end of the pitch Ariel Ngueukam almost found the equalizer but his chance went over the bar.
In the 64’ Ivic made his second substitute as Cohen was replaced by Peretz and what a sub it would be. Peretz doubled the Maccabi advantage in the 73’ when he finished off a beautiful Yellow & Blue attack with Atar getting credited for the assist, 2:0.
Chico Ofoedu was introduced in the 82’ for Micha for Ivic’s 3rd substitute while Shechter came oh so close to adding a third goal but just came up short as Maccabi took home the 3 points.
