Category: Game Review

Maccabi defeats Ramat HaSharon 3-1

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Maccabi Tel Aviv played their first match of the Israel State Cup tournament, entering the competition in the Round of 32 where they visited Leumit League side Ramat HaSharon. In a match filled with penalty kicks, it was Maccabi who came out on top. 332A3475Barak Itzhaki and Eran Zahavi converted their spot kicks for the Yellow-and-Blue as Yossi Shivchon would turn the trick for Ramat HaSharon. Eden Ben Basat scored the winner in the 71st minute helping his side advance to the Round of 16 of the Israel State Cup competition.

New Head Coach, Peter Bosz changed up his starting lineup from last match in the WINNER League giving the rest of his squad a chance to get some playing time. Daniel Lifshitz started in goal while Yoav Ziv, Tal Ben Haim, Dor Peretz and acting captain Carlos Garcia played in front of the shot stopper. Eden Ben Basat, Barak Itzhaki and Dejan Radonjic played up front with a midfielder corps consisting of Avi Rikan, Shlomi Azulay and Gili Vermouth.

The Yellow-and-Blue started out strong as Vermouth had a couple of chances in the opening ten minutes but both of his efforts couldn’t find the back of Ramat HaSharon goal. However, just a minute later it was Itzhaki who put the ball behind Golan Elkaslasi on a penalty kick called after a foul in the box by Mor Tzur to give Maccabi a 1:0 lead.

The two sides traded chances as Ben Ben Yair produced an opportunity from 17 meters 332A3857out for the Sharon team in the 25th minute but Lifshitz, the Yellow-and-Blue’s second choice keeper made the save to preserve the slim lead. Ben Basat’s effort missed the target and Elkaslasi saved Radonjic’s chance while Kobi Musa’s screamer just went wide of the Maccabi goal as the teams headed into the break.

After a quiet opening to the second half, Maccabi coach Peter Bosz made a double 332A3657substitution in the 65th minute bringing on Dor Micha and Eran Zahavi for Vermouth and Radonjic to help jump start the offense. But instead Ramat HaSharon were awarded a penalty of their own after a Ziv foul in the box. Ex-Maccabi man Yossi Shivchon stepped up for the spot kick and converted from 11 meters to draw the second division side even.

However, it wouldn’t stay tied for long as Ben Basat scored from the top of the box to give the Yellow-and-Blue a 2:1 lead in the 71st minute. Zahavi added an insurance goal from a penalty after Ben Basat was pulled down in the Ramat HaSharon box to give the defending State Cup Champions the 3:1 lead and the win.332A4013

Maccabi Tel Aviv will now move on to the Round of 16 and play at Rishon Le’Zion on either January 26/27, This coming Monday evening the Yellow-and-Blue will take a trip up the coast to face Hapoel Acre on Matchday 19 of the WINNER League.

Zahavi Scores Four in 5-0 Rout

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Head Coach Slavisa Joaknovic looked to get his club back on the winning track and started Dejan Radonjic up front with Captain Eran Zahavi by his right and Dor Micha a bit behind on the left. Nosa Igiebor, Nikola Mitrovic and Gal Alberman were the midfielders with a back four of Eli Dasa, Eitan Tibi, Carlos Garcia and Omri Ben Harush in front of keeper Predrag Rajkovic.

The first fifteen minutes of the match saw the two sides checking each other out with most of the action happening in the midfield. That was until Zahavi stripped the ball from Kiryat Shemona defender Din Maimoni in the 15th minute on the right side. The captain went in alone on keeper Mahdi Zuabi beating him from in close to take a 1:0 lead.332A9760-2

Five minutes later Dasa sent a terrific ball to Radonjic in the box but Zuabi was just able to keep the score as is. Radonjic, the Croatian striker was making his first start for the Yellow-and-Blue and provided a much needed spark of energy around the opposition’s goal allowing more freedom for Zahavi and company to operate from the flanks.

Maccabi would double the score in the 33rd minute when Zahavi headed in a beautiful pass by Micha giving the hosts a 2:0 lead. Both teams would trade chances late in the half and Mitrovic picked up a yellow card as the clubs headed into the break.

The second half began where the first left off with a ton of action. Micha sent Radonjic off the left side but his effort was saved by Zuabi’s foot in the 50th minute. Just a minute later Ahmed Abed had his point blank effort saved by Rajkovic as the match kept gong coast-to-coast. However, Kiryat Shemona began showing some quality off of the left side especially when Bruno Kunie stole the ball from Garcia but his effort went wide of the goal.332A9827-2

In order to correct the situation Jokanovic made a substitution in the 60th minute brining in Dor Peretz for Mitrovic and another change in the 65th minute taking off Radonjic to a round of applause for Barak Itzhaki. With fresh players on the pitch Maccabi began controlling the flow of play once again and in the 68th minute they would make Kiryat Shemona pay once again.

Captain Eran Zahavi completed his first hat-trick since May 17, 2014 when he turned the trick against Bnei Sakhnin in his final match of the season. This time he received a brilliant pass from Micha and cleanly beat Zuabi for his third of the game. And if that wasn’t enough for the Yellow-and-Blue Micha came flying in off of the right side and sent another fantastic pass to Zahavi in the box where he missed a bicycle kick, however Ben Harush was there to collect the ball and score from 16 meters out in the 71st minute.

But not to be outdone, Zahavi scored his fourth of the match in the 87th minute from the left side to finish off a dominant performance by the captain and superstar. The club will now get ready for this coming Saturday’s clash away at Hapoel Raanana.

Ben Harush: “It’s time to focus on the league”

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Omri Ben Harush the Yellow-and-Blue left back helped Maccabi to a 2:0 victory over Bnei Sakhnin at Doha Stadium on Matchday Fourteen to open up the second round of WINNER League matches. The win marked the 4th league game in a row that the club has recorded a clean sheet and much credit goes to the defenders:

עמרי בן הרוש לאחר הניצחון על סכנין

“It was an important game to begin the second round of matches with a win. We gained some confidence and now we’re going to begin to prepare for next week’s match against Hapoel Beer Sheva.”

The style of play Bnei Sakhnin brought to the table:

“We’ve seen this style of defensive play before from our other opponents over the last few months and we changed up our offense and formation in the second half to better deal with it.”

On playing in the Champions League:

“It was exciting to be a part of the Champions League but course we were a bit disappointed. The main thing is to return to the competition next year but now it’s time to focus on the league.”

Maccabi picks up 2-0 win over Sakhnin

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Maccabi Tel Aviv visited Bnei Sakhnin at Doha Stadium to open up the second round of WINNER League matches and came away with a 2:0 victory on a brace by the captain, Eran Zahavi. A first half goal and a second half strike sandwiched a missed penalty at the stroke of halftime by number 7 as the Yellow-and-Blue won their Matchday Fourteen encounter. Next Monday night, December  21st at 20:55, Hapoel Beer Sheva will visit Bloomfield Stadium in an attractive 1-2 matchup.

סלבישה יוקאנוביץ’ לאחר הניצחון על סכנין

Head Coach Slavisa Jokanovic went with a 4-3-3 formation in front of starting keeper Predrag Rajkovic as Eli Dasa and Omri Ben Harush were the right and left backs respectively while Tal Ben Haim and Carlos Garcia played as central defenders. Gal Alberman, Shlomi Azulay and Nosa Igiebor played right behind an attacking trio of Avi Rikan, Barak Itzhaki and captain Eran Zahavi.332A8355-2

Bnei Sakhnin seemed to be the more dangerous of the two sides in the first ten minutes as the hosts had a pair of corner kicks and an excellent close range chance by Jorginho that was smartly cleared by defender Ben Haim. In the 12th minute Rikan’s 16 meter screamer of effort from the left side just went by the near post to keep the match goalless for the time being. However, just one minute later Zahavi would change all of that.

Dasa lifted a nice ball into the box from the right side that Zahavi headed into the left post that didn’t find the back of the goal. But number 7 followed up on his own rebound and pounded it home for the 1:0 advantage. As the match headed into the 22nd minute, Jokanovic was forced to use his first substitution as he replaced an injured Azulay with Dor Peretz.

With the first half winding down Bnei Sakhnin began to threaten the Maccabi goal but Rajkovic was in the right place at the right time on a pair of opportunities. In the 38th minute,332A8427

Jorginho’s header from a perfect lead pass by Firas Mugrabi was saved by the Serbian keeper while Weam Amasha’s  chance from inside the box was instinctively pawed away by Rajkovic to keep the lead intact. Just before the sides headed to the break, Zahavi was awarded a penalty when Itzhaki was pushed down in the box, but his ensuing kick from 11 meters went off of the right post and out as the halftime whistle was blown.

With the missed penalty still on his mind, Zahavi made amends very quickly with a 55th minute strike from the top of the box that beat Sakhnin keeper Kadosh to double the Maccabi lead. The hosts didn’t raise the white flag yet and in the 61st minute Mugrabi sent a wonderful pass to Sakhnin’s Shlomi Azulay whose headed ball just bounced off of Rajkovic’s left post and out of bounds.332A8695

The visitors searched long and hard for a third goal as the final half hour ticked down but Peretz’s goal was ruled offside, Itzhaki’s free kick went over the bar and Ben Chaim’s effort was sent out of play by Kadosh as the match ended 2:0 in favor of the Yellow-and-Blue.

Next Monday December 21st, Maccabi Tel Aviv will host Hapoel Beer Sheva at Bloomfield Stadium on Matchday Fifteen pitting the two top teams in the league against one another separated only by goal differential. Check the official Maccabi Tel Aviv website and download the official club App to keep up to date on all of the latest news and views about your favorite team.

  • פותחים סיבוב שני בדוחא

  • ו...מצא את הראש של זהבי

  • איפה הכדור ואיפה השוער

Maccabi Tel Aviv wins crazy 2-1 match

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What an amazing game we had on Matchday Seven at the Moshava Stadium after the International break. A lead, tie, a lead again, a red card for Lifshitz in his debut and winger Tal Ben Chaim in goal. Not to mention Oz Rali also made his first Maccabi start as well. But it was the late drama that secured the 2:1 win and three points on goals by Carlos Garcia and Eran Zahavi.

Head Coach Slavisa Jokanovic started the match off with ‘keeper Daniel Lifshitz ליפשיץmaking his first start for Maccabi in place of an ill Predrag Rajkovic and with a trio of central defenders Tal Ben Haim, Eitan Tibi and Carlos Garcia playing in front of him. Avi Rikan and Oz Rali who was also making his debut were the defensive backs with a midfield of Gal Alberman, Dor Peretz, Gili Vermouth just behind captain Eran Zahavi and striker Barak Itzhaki.

Action in the first half began quickly as Carlos Garcia and Joachim Mununga saw yellow in the 2nd minute while Mohamed Kalebet would have the opening chance of the match in the 4th minute with Lifshitz knocking the ball away for a corner kick.

However, it was Maccabi Tel Aviv who would strike first as Zahavi lofted a gorgeous free kick that Itzhaki caught with his foot to the right of the goal and Garcia finished it off by putting the ball into the back of the Petach Tikva goal to go ahead 1:0 in the 20th minute. After Zahavi and Kalebat traded chances it was Petach Tikva’s turn to זהביget onto the scoreboard. Guy Melamed’s free kick from 35 meters out fooled the Maccabi defense and trickled behind Lifshitz to even up the score as the teams headed into the lockerrooms deadlocked at 1:1.

The second half began with Jokanovic taking out central defender Ben Haim for Nikola Mitrovic and moving the team back to its standard four defenders in the back. A little bit later winger Tal Ben Chaim came on for Itzhaki and Dor Micha was introduced in place of Oz Rali. Just minutes after Maccabi’s final substitution the Yellow-and-Blue were rewarded with a penalty kick in the 79th minute as Xavier Thomas pulled down Ben Chaim in the box.

A deep pass by Avi Rikan found Ben Chaim in the box who was subsequently taken down by Thomas as Zahavi converted from the spot to give Maccabi a 2:1 lead. But the fun was only beginning when Maccabi would lose a man in the 87th minute and unfortunately that would be ‘keeper Daniel Lifshitz.DSC_3004

The Swedish born Lifshitz was shown a red card when he took down Oz Peretz outside of the box forcing winger Ben Chaim to pull on the ‘keeper’s shirt due to Maccabi having used all of their substitutions. The winger turned ‘keeper was up to the task as he made a kick save off of a free kick to preserve the lead and help pick up the valuable three points right before the club heads to Porto for a Champions League clash on Tuesday night.

Youth Department in Action Saturday

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The three main Maccabi Tel Aviv youth clubs return to action on Saturday, after all of the matches were pushed off from last week due to the inclement weather. Below is the full list of games:

Maccabi “Shachar” Tel Aviv

AQ7A9658The Under-19 club landed back in Israel after their first Champions League group stage match against Chelsea where they went down to defeat to the reigning European Champions 3:0. Ziv Arie’s side will open up their domestic season at home in the Ramle Stadium against SC Ashdod at 12:00. While in London the coach discussed the importance of making the transition between the European competition and the Israeli league: “There’s no magic formula; just like the match for the first team was difficult, so was ours. The cliche is that the Israeli league is our bread and butter and we know that we have to open the year strong.”

Maccabi “Oded” Tel Aviv

After not playing for two weeks due to inclement weather and a technical victory, the Under-17 club under the direction of Ori Uzan and Leon Asraf heads up north to face Kiryat Shemona at the Municipal Stadium, 11:00. Maccabi “Oded” find themselves at the top of the table with a perfect 2:0 record.

 Maccabi “Eli Fuchs” Tel Aviv

The Under-16 team coached by Gadi Brumer and Eliezer Ben Aharon will begin their season tomorrow when they face Hapoel Ramat Gan away, right by the field next to the Ramat Gan Safari at 10:30.

Maccabi Tel Aviv Beitar Jerusalem

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A first-half goal by Omer Atzili spells defeat for Maccabi as they are beaten 1-0 by Beitar Jerusalem

Same venue, same opponent, same nemesis. Last December, Beitar Jerusalem midfielder Omer Atzili scored a last-minute goal at Haifa's "Sammy Ofer" Stadium to turn what looked like a certain Maccabi victory into a 1-1 draw. In tonight's return fixture at the very same stadium exactly three months later, Atzili was once again the architect of a disappointing evening for Maccabi Tel Aviv as his first-half goal proved decisive in Beitar Jerusalem's 1-0 victory.

Badash

In a match that began at a quick pace but with little in the way of genuine goalscoring opportunities, Beitar started the brighter side and ten minutes into the match midfielder Shlomi Azulay sent a screamer that whistled just past Maccabi keeper Juan Pablo's post.  Maccabi saw their first real shot on goal come a quarter of an hour later when midfielder Dor Micha floated a high ball to striker Barak Badash whose header missed its mark. Eleven minutes after that Eran Zahavi uncharacteristically also tried to score with his head, getting first touch to a Mahran Radi corner, but the prolific midfielder saw his effort cleared by a tenacious Beitar defence. Responding sporadically on the counter, Beitar forced a number of saves by Juan Pablo. But one minute before the break, after dispossessing striker Itzik Cohen in his advance on goal inside the area, the Spaniard was unable to keep possession enabling Omer Atzili to get his boot to the ball and strike high into the Maccabi net to put his side ahead 1-0.

Carlos

At the start of the second half Maccabi's Mahran Radi made two attempts from distance but both were unsuccessful. At the other end Juan Pablo came up with another heroic save after Beitar's Romanian midfielder Liviu Antal found space to pivot in the area and get off a strong shot that was headed for the net. Just past the hour mark Eran Zahavi saw a free kick fly over and later Dor Micha worked his way into space through the Beitar area but his finish was stopped by Beitar keeper Boris Klaiman. In the closing minutes of the match Klaiman continued to stay alert as he stopped a number of attempts by Maccabi to draw level, including substitute midfielder Nikola Mitrovic and once again Eran Zahavi. But in the end it remained 1-0 in favour of the Jerusalemites, only the fourth time that Maccabi have lost in the league this season and their first league defeat to Beitar since November 2011. So with just one more league tie before the start of the play-offs, Maccabi remain on top of the Israeli Premier League table but by the same four-point margin ahead of their nearest rivals Ironi Kiryat Shmona. Next Monday night they will return home to Bloomfield for their last normal season encounter against Hapoel Petach Tikva.