Maccabi Tel Aviv pounded host Maccabi Netanya 6-1 as Eran Zahavi scored a hat-trick to keep the yellow-and-blue in the Israel Premier League championship race.
Gaby Kanichowsky fed Zahavi with a back pass that the striker launched into the goal for a 1-0 lead in the 10th minute, but Freddy Vargas slammed home a scorcher from outside the box 20 minutes later to draw the diamond city squad even.
However, from that point on it was all Maccabi as Dor Turgeman’s penalty just ahead of halftime gave the visitors a 2-1 lead while Osher Davida and Zahavi scored early on in the second half to bump the advantage up to 4-1. Zahavi’s 70th-minute strike to complete the hat-trick and Nemanja Stojic’s injury-time marker polished off the game as Maccabi took the points.
“This was one of Maccabi Tel Aviv’s best games of the season,” coach Zarko Lazetic began. “All of the players worked hard, they were really good, especially after they recovered from the goal we conceded. We played the way we wanted to play and the team was amazing. We need to keep going like this and I know we need to win the two remaining games. We need to rest and prepare for the balance of the schedule. We’ll think about how to beat Maccabi Haifa in the next round and from there we’ll move forward.”
“I can sum up the game in one word – shameful,” Netanya bench boss Yossi Abukasis said. “I saw a bad attitude from the first moment and I told the players at halftime that it was only 2-1, but it should have been more. I told the players before the game that after two wins, we need to come in with confidence, but not excessively. We made all of the possible mistakes in the second half and everything went wrong for us. I’m sorry for the fans that it ended like this.”
Zahavi also spoke about the game.
“I think it was a great evening for our team – I don’t need to be the story. I’m happy that I scored a hat-trick because it helped the team win. We have tough games ahead, but we’re going from game to game, we’ll do everything we can.”
Hapoel Beersheba crushed struggling Maccabi Haifa 4-1 as Dan Biton scored a brace to lead the Southern Reds to the victory as they remain top of the table due to better goal differential over Maccabi Tel Aviv, although the two sides are level on points.
Beersheba was deducted two points following fan violence at Turner Stadium during a match against Bnei Sakhnin early in the season. The Reds’ appeal of the decision was rejected, which could prove crucial in the title race.
Just ahead of halftime, Biton slotted home the opening goal while Kings Kangwa doubled the advantage in first-half injury time to head into the break with a 2-0 lead. Dolev Haziza cut the lead to 2-1 in the 47th minute, but goals by Alon Turgeman and Biton’s second of the game closed out the victory.
“My pulse was going crazy at the end of the first half,” Beersheba coach Ron Kozuk began. “We went into halftime with a 2-0 lead and we talked about being careful and playing solid defense, but we conceded a goal as the second half started. However, our substitutes played very well and we really scored six goals, but two were disallowed. We have to continue to progress, play well and above all, continue to win.”
“The whole week has been a difficult experience for the entire club after Barak Bachar was dismissed as head coach,” interim bench boss Itay Mordechai said. “Maccabi Haifa is a strong club. We’re going through a tough and even difficult time but we are a powerful club and we’ll get out of this. We had one of the hardest weeks that this club has ever known and we came to the toughest stadium in the country, against the most intense club, and this was the result.”
Biton noted that Beersheba took no pity on the Greens.
“We feel good and I think we played a good game by beating Maccabi Haifa 4-1, which is not something that simple. When I’m on the pitch I am only concerned about the team and we will do everything that we can to win. It all depends on us with two games to go and we have to do our job.”
Hapoel Haifa slipped by Beitar Jerusalem 1-0 on Dor Hugi’s 43rd-minute goal to snatch the win and move to within two points of the yellow-and-black for the final European spot in the league standings.
“It’s very frustrating, to concede a goal like that at such a minute,” Beitar Jerusalem coach Barak Itzhaki began. “This is especially true after we closed down the first half well and created good situations. In the second half we were unable to score and Niv Antman had a good chance but hit the crossbar. I can’t complain about my players, we controlled the game but it’s disappointing. However, we have to look ahead – I don’t think we’ve had three consecutive losses, we have two more games and it will be a battle up until the end.”
“Overall I think we’re slowly improving and getting better,” Carmel Reds coach Roni Levy said. “For me, winning this game is like winning a derby. We showed character, determination and we knew how to win, plus Dor Hugi’s goal was definitely a worthy one.”