Preview
Maccabi returned to Bloomfield stadium for the final match of the season in a bid to end the 2021/22 campaign on a high with a victory over bitter city rivals Hapoel in the Tel Aviv derby. With his team ranked third in the table with 66 points from 35 matches, one point adrift of Hapoel Be’ersheva, Maccabi’s coach Mladen Krstajic wanted to record the 20th league win of the season. After being held to a 1-1 draw at Bloomfield, Krstajic is aware of the fact that only a victory, together with Be’ersheva dropping points at home to Bnei Sakhnin could see Maccabi finish the season in the runners up spot.
Injuries and suspensions left Krstajic with a depleted squad forcing him to make changes as Eyal Golasa (yellow cards) and Matan Baltaxa (ankle) joined a list of absentees that already included Maor Kandil, Dan Biton and Josue Sa.
Daniel Peretz, kept his place in goal for the 36th time in the league as the young keeper became the only ever-present player this season. Shahar Piven returned to the heart of defence alongside Enric Saborit with Ofir Davidzada at left-back and Andre Geraldes completing the back-four on the right. Dan Glazer led the team out wearing the captain’s armband and with Eyal Golasa serving a one-match touchline ban, Gabi Kanichowsky and Oscar Gloukh completed the midfield-trio. Orel Baye, who made his league debut away to Maccabi Haifa was handed his debut start on the left wing. Eylon Almog whose goal against Be’ersheva was his first league goal of the season was named by Krstajic on the right wing.
Upfront, Djordje Jovanovic stepped-in for Stipe Perica aiming to add to the nine league goals he scored since joining Maccabi in January. On the bench, Krstajic named Daniel Tenenbaum, Idan Nachmias, Matan Hozez, Stipe Perica, Tal Ben Chaim, Eden Shamir, Osama Khalaila, Sheran Yeini and Avi Rikan.
First Half
As soon as the game kicked off, dozens of flares were thrown onto the pitch from both ends of the stadium forcing the game to be stopped. The thick and heavy smoke led to the police ordering the players off the pitch and back into the dressing rooms. When the smoke finally cleared, and the police completed picking-up all the left overs, play was resumed in the 17th minute. Two minutes after the restart, Djordje Jovanovic tested Ernestas Setkus with a long range effort which beat Hapoel’s keeper but curled just wide of the target.
At the opposite end, Freddy Plumain flashed a header wide of Daniel Peretz’s goal following a Shlomi Azulay cross in the 21st minute. Setkus needed a double save two minutes later in order to keep-out Eylon Almog’s low left foot drive from the edge of the area before reacting quickly to deny Jovanovic’s rebound. In the 25th minute, Hapoel’s Lithuanian keeper was at it again as he punched out for a corner another Jovanovic’s powerful shot.
Two minutes after the half hour mark, Hapoel’s captain Dan Einbinder was the first player to be booked by referee Orel Grinfeld for a rough challenge on Orel Baye. Oscar Gloukh carved himself an opening on 34 as he drove through the middle of Hapoel’s midfield before releasing a powerful shot which was equalled by Setkus.
Peretz was at full stretch to keep out an Osher Davida left foot shot following a cut-back by Doron Leidner before the Hapoel winger was booked for stopping Gloukh’s counter attack. The fourth official indicated 17 minutes of added time, and shortly after Baye was shown the yellow card for a foul on Shlomi Azulay.
On the stroke of halftime, Maccabi came close as Jovanovic and Ofir Davidzada combined well to release Baye who created the time and space by skipping past a Hapoel defender. But the 18-year-old who could have scored his senior debut goal released a weak shot which was caught by Setkus. Shortly after, Grinfeld blew the whistle for the end of the half that lasted just more than an hour.
Second Half
With no changes at the restart Maccabi began the second half where the first one left off – pressure on Hapoel in a bid to break the deadlock. Maccabi’s coach Mladen Krstajic made his first change in the 52nd minute as Avi Rikan replaced Baye adding a fresh pair of legs but also a wealth of experience.
A minute after the hour mark, the combination of Davidzada and Almog down the left released Gloukh but once again Setkus kept Hapoel’s goal sealed. Stipe Perica came-in for Gabi Kanichowsky on 65 as Krstajic made his second change adding more fire power as the tall Croat joined his Serbian teammate Jovanovic upfront.
It took the Balkan duo 10 minutes to break the deadlock as Maccabi finally took the lead in the 75th minute. Shahar Piven sent a long ball out of defence which was flicked by Jovanovic into the path of Perica who volleyed home the opener under Setkus and into the bottom far corner.
While Krstajic was ready to introduce Sheran Yeini, Matan Hozez and Tal Ben Chaim who were all waiting on the side-lines to come on – Maccabi doubled their lead. Gloukh released Jovanovic into the area in the 82nd minute and as the Serbian striker was impeded in the box, Rikan pounced on the ball and from the tightest of angles scored the second. Gloukh, Almog and Jovanovic bowed out to a standing ovation by the delighted Yellow part of Bloomfield.
Yeini made his 30th appearance in Tel Aviv derbies to climb into second place of the all-time appearances in derbies above Benny Tabak and Avi Nimni. The 35-year-old Maccabi skipper who made his 519th competitive appearance for the club, is now 3 derbies short of equalling Miko Belo’s record of 33 Tel Aviv derbies. Grinfeld’s full-time whistle confirmed that Maccabi remain unbeaten in Tel Aviv derbies for the past 8 years.
