Maccabi Tel Aviv defeated Maccabi Haifa 1:0 to win their 23rd League Championship. Aron Schoenfeld scored the lone goal of the match in the second half off an Omer Atzili corner to take the 3 points and wrap up the title. The Yellow & Blue will now prepare for the State Cup semifinal against Bnei Yehuda on Wednesday night, at Teddy Stadium in Jerusalem at 20:45.
Vladimir Ivic’s Starting XI included keeper Predrag Rajkovic, Maor Kandil, Sheran Yeini, Jair Amador, Enric Saborit, Dor Peretz, Dan Glezer, Ruslan Barsky, Omer Atzili, Eliran Atar, Aron Schoenfeld.
Available on the bench: Daniel Tenebaum, Eli Dasa, Itay Shechter, Eitan Tibi, Yonatan Cohen, Ophir Davidzada, Shahar Piven.
First Half
The match began in driving rain as both sides played tentatively for the first ten minutes. Neta Lavi had the first chance for Haifa in the 12’ but Rajikovic made the stop while 8 minutes later Atzili’s 18 meter blast missed the target.
Peretz and Barsky each had chances in the 26’ and 28’ but couldn’t put their shots on goal and then Barsky received a yellow card in the 29’. Atar’s 31’ opportunity was parried by Greens keeper Guy Haimov and in the 39’ Saborit’s attempt was caught by the shot stopper as the sides went into the break goalless.
Second Half
Maccabi found the first goal of the contest in the 55’ when Atizli’s corner was sent into the goal off of Schoenfeld’s shoulder as the Yellow & Blue took a 1:0 lead. Atar almost doubled the lead but Haimov made the stop in the 60’ and five minutes later Shahar Piven came on for Atzili.
Yonatan Cohen entered the match in the 75’ in favor of Atar and 3 minutes later Schoenfeld’s chance went out. Yarden Shua almost drew Haifa even but his attempt missed the target in the 81’ while Cohen’s opportunity for Maccabi four minutes later went out. Itay Shechter came on in the 87’ for the goal scorer Schoenfeld as the Yellow & Blue took the win and their 23rd League Championship.
