The Yellow & Blue defeated Maccabi Petah Tikva 2:0 thanks to a Dani Amos 10th minute own goal and a 59th minute strike by Tal Ben Chaim. Dor Micha was a factor on both goals as his shot bounced off of Amos’s back and into the goal while he delivered a superb deep ball to Ben Chaim for goal number two. With the win, Maccabi cut the Hapoel Beer Sheva lead to 3-points as the table leaders host Beitar Jerusalem on Monday night. Next Saturday night, Maccabi will visit the same Beitar at Teddy Stadium in Jerusalem.
Prematch
Lito Vidigal, the Yellow & Blue Head Coach’s Starting XI included keeper Predrag Rajikovic, with Yuval Shpungin, Tal Ben Haim, Egor Filipenka and Sheran Yeini in front of him. Eyal Golasa, Ruben Micael and Yossi Benayoun were in the midfield while Dor Micha, Tal Ben Chaim and Vidar Kjaratansson provided the firepower up front.
On the bench were Daniel Lifshitz, Avi Rikan, Ramon Roma, Gal Alberman, Aaron Schoenfeld, Sagiv Yehezkel and Oscar Scarione.
First Half
Maccabi looked to take an early lead and almost did so in the 8th minute when Benayoun gave Ben Chaim a marvelous pass, but number 11’s chance couldn’t find the target. However, three minutes later the Yellow & Blue would take a 1:0 lead thanks in part to Ruben Micael. The midfielder took a fantastic attempt on goal that was stopped by Dani Amos, but Micha pounced on the rebound, hit the bar as the ball bounced off of the Petah Tikva keeper’s back and into the goal.
In the 13th minute Petah Tikva had their first chance but Liroy Tzeiri’s shot went over the bar as Maccabi continued to control the pace. Following a yellow card to Romario Pires, Golasa hit a screamer off of the bar after Benayoun had given him a perfect ball in the 31st minute. After yellow cards were issued to Micael and Tzeiri, Hagi Goldenberg tried to draw his side even in the 38th minute but his chance went over the goal.
Ben Chaim picked up a yellow card in the 41st minute while Lidor Cohen tried his luck against Rajikovic from long distance to no avail two minutes later. As the match hit the 45th minute Micha sent Benayoun a magnificent cross but the veteran’s header missed the target but went right to Kjaratansson, however, the Icelander’s chance from in close went out as the half ended with Maccabi holding a 1:0 advantage.
Second Half
After a quiet start to the second half, Ben Chaim lifted a 53rd minute free kick into the box but Amos grabbed it while seconds later Kjartansson almost doubled the score but Amos made the save. Golasa was then issued a yellow card in the 56th minute. With Maccabi hunting for a second goal, Micha would send a tremendous deep pass right to Ben Chaim who would put it home for a 2:0 lead in the 59th minute.
As the match moved along to the 72nd minute, the Yellow & Blue would have a pair of chances as Kjartansson would just miss the goal and Yeini would hit the bar yet again. Gal Alberman entered the match in the 79th minute for Ruben Micael, Sagiv Yehezkel came on in the 87th minute in favor of goal scorer Ben Chaim and Oscar Scarione rounded out the substitutes in the 90th minute as he was introduced for Micha to close out a tidy 2:0 win.
