Preview
Maccabi arrived at Turner stadium for the MD30 ONE ZERO League match against Hapoel Be’ersheva aiming to close the 5 point gap they have from the second placed hosts. Last week’s 1-1 draw against Maccabi Haifa at Bloomfield, took Maccabi’s tally to 59 points and seriously dented hopes of catching up with the leaders. But a victory at a stadium where Maccabi hadn’t won in two years, would edge Maccabi closer towards the second place in the table.
Enric Saborit serving a one-match touchline ban due to nine yellow card, forced Maccabi’s coach Aitor Karanka to make a change in his defence which otherwise remained unchanged. Nir Bitton stepped into the heart of defence to partner Derrick Luckassen as the two central defenders in front of goalkeeper Daniel Peretz with Andre Geraldes on the right and Ofir Davidzada on the left completing the defensive line. Dan Glazer and Dor Peretz kept their places in Maccabi’s the midfield engine room with Gabi Kanichowsky and Dan Biton supplying the width to the midfield. Upfront, Karanka stuck with his striking duo Djordje Jovanovic and Eran Zahavi who led the team out wearing the captain’s armband.
On the bench, Karanka welcomed back Daniel Peretz who fully recovered from his back injury but also included Eylon Almog for the first time since the 24-year-old forward returned from a loan spell in Austria. Veteran club captain Sheran Yeini who also recovered from a facial injury, was also named amongst the substitutes as were Rares Ilie and Joris van Overeem, Parfait Guiagon, Eyal Golasa, Shahar Piven and Dor Turgeman.
First Half
A firework display of the home fans immediately after kick off caused a longer delay than usual as a large banner behind goal caught fire, forcing the local fire brigade to intervene and kill the flames. When play was resumed around 9 minutes later, Beersheva came close to draw first blood as Shapi Suleymanov received the ball inside Maccabi’s area on 17 before blasting a powerful drive which struck the underside of the crossbar and bounced down and out. In the 20th minute Maccabi took the lead as Dan Biton’s pinpoint free kick found Dor Peretz who guided his header past Omri Glazer.
Beersheva were back on level terms five minutes later as Suleymanov exploited a mistake in Maccabi’s defence and beat Daniel Peretz with a shot into the top corner. Tempers flared on the half hour mark as Peretz was booked for a foul on Dor Micha while Derrick Luckassen was also shown a yellow card less than a minute later for a foul on Patryk Klimala.
Gabi Kanichowsky could have restored Maccabi’s lead in the 35th minute only for the diminutive midfielder to blast his shot over the crossbar. Eran Zahavi had a chance as well as he picked a loose ball on the edge of Beersheva’s area in the 40th minute but sent his shot high over the bar. The delay after kickoff led referee Eytan Shmuelevic to add 10 minutes to the first half. A mix-up between Beersheva’s keeper and his defence gifted the ball Zahavi before Biton tried catching Glazer off his line but saw his long-range effort land on the roof of the net.
Second Half
Aitor Karanka made no change to personnel after the break while his Beersheva counterpart Elyaniv Barda introduced Eugene Ansah for Miguel Vitor. Be’ersheva came close on 49 as he reced passed Bitton to break into the area but sent his shot against the side netting.
Zahavi should have taken the lead on 57 as a perfect counter attack saw Biton send Djordje Jovanovic down the right. The Serbian forward sent a pinpoint cross into the box but Zahavi miscued his header agonisingly wide of the target. Barda made a double substitution in the 65th minute as Ramzi Safuri and Rotem Hatuel came on for Micha and Kilmala.
Safuri almost put Beersheva infront as he spotted Glazer off his line and sent a long range effort which was making its way in but Maccabi’s custodian recovered in time to save on his line. Biton bowed out and was replaced by Rares Ilie while Eyal Golasa came on for Dor Peretz as Karanka made a double substitution in the 84th minute.
Two minutes later, the substitution almost paid off as Guiagon tore through Be’ersheva’s midfield and released Jovanovic. The Serbian forward rattled the crossbar before Ilie blasted the rebound against the side netting.
The fourth official added seven minutes and Maccabi came close as Guiagon and Ilie charged forward for a counter attack but the Romanian’s square ball was cleared for a corner before Zahavi could slot the ball home. Shahar Piven replaced Bitton for the closing stages as Karanka made his final change on the night before the game ended in dramatic fashion.
Guiagon dribbled into the area and was fouled by Ansah before the referee needed the assistance of VAR before awarding a penalty. Zahavi stepped up, kept his calm, and fired the spot kick high into the net to secure the victory.
