Maccabi Tel Aviv defeats Sakhnin, advances to Toto Cup final

Aug 18, 2024 | Football

Maccabi Tel Aviv defeated Bnei Sakhnin 2-1 in front of 10,000 fans on Sunday night at Bloomfield in the Toto Cup semifinal.

Maccabi fielded a young team in the pre-season game – including debuts for new signings, striker Elad Madmon and goalkeeper Ofek Malika – which was sandwiched in between two European matches. The Yellow & Blue looked the better team throughout the first half, but were unable to convert from the opportunities that they created while in possession 57% of the time. Madmon looked the most threatening for the home team, peppering at the goal with energy. He celebrated a header from a Dan Biton delivery after 11 minutes, however the goal was canceled out after the VAR review. Eran Zahavi also found the back of the net in the 34th minute with an entertaining bicycle kick, but he too was offside. While Maccabi dominated, Sakhnin looked threatening only on the rebound, with the sides going into the dressing rooms at halftime 0-0.

Photo credit: Maccabi Tel Aviv


The second half was more of the same as the first, with Maccabi looking more threatening than Sakhnin, but unable to get on the board. Sakhnin was the first to make changes in the 60th minute, with Basil Khuri and Paata Gudushauri making way for Ahmed Ibrahim Salman and Anis Iash. Shortly after Madmon and Biton were replaced by Dor Peretz and Osher Davida. However it was when Sakhnin made additional moves in the 65th minute that they seemed to look more threatening, with Omer Abuhav and Abdallah Khlaikhal coming on for Ahmed Taha and Alexandre Ramalingom. The fresh players for Sakhnin gave them more energy, with Salman forcing Malika to save the shot and prevent the visitors taking a shock lead. The momentum started to swing back towards Maccabi when they themselves made changes, with Raz Shlomo and Hisham Layous coming on for Henry Addo and Matan Baltaxa.

While the game looked like it may be headed to penalties, it was a spot kick that finally broke the deadlock, with Zahavi scoring in the 83rd minute after Roy Revivo was deemed to have been fouled in the box. Zahavi immediately was substituted for Dor Turgeman, who instantly made an impact with a beautiful ball to Ido Shachar, but he was unable to convert in what was just another wasted opportunity for the Yellow & Blue. Just a minute into extra time Sakhnin’s Itay Ben Hemo illegally brought down Turgeman and was sent off with a red card, however Turgeman was unable to convert the resulting penalty, but he made up for it just minutes later with a nice pass to Davida who converted to give Maccabi a 2-0 lead. While it looked like Melika might collect a clean sheet, sloppy defense allowed Khlaikhal to get one goal back for Sakhnin before the final whistle was blown.

Eran Zahavi – Photo credit: Maccabi Tel Aviv


“Congratulations to Bnei Sakhnin and coach for a good game, Maccabi manager Zarko Lazetic said after the game. “Today I’m satisfied with the way we played. It’s important for me that we were good in transition, it’s very good progress for us compared to last game. It’s important, win by win, step by step. I’m satisfied with how our progress is going. Congratulations to the players and the never-give-up attitude. We tried to do what we trained to do. Very good counter-pressing, part of playing in our style especially against a team very good in defense and in transition. We need to keep continuing to improve and try to get better.”

“We’re still finding out form,” Sakhnin’s manager Slobodan Drapic said of his team. “It’s the first or second game that we were able to give our best against a team playing in Europe. I’m proud of the team. We’re looking for a couple more players to strengthen the team. The second half was a little better, but I think we fell in fitness and they’re a little fitter than we are right now.”

“We played a good game, we were able to put pressure on Maccabi,” Sakhnin’s Eyad Abu Abaid said after the game. “We’re only at the start of the season and I’m very optimistic.”

Zarko Lazetic – Photo credit: Maccabi Tel Aviv


Lazetic took then time to also speak about his two debutants. “I also want to congratulate two debutants, Elad Madmon and Ofek Malika, on their games – especially Malika, who is very young for a keeper.”

“I’m very happy that I had the opportunity to play and that he trusted me, it’s amazing,” Malika said. “The feeling with the crowd behind me in the first half was amazing – this is what I dreamed of as a kid.”

Maccabi Tel Aviv will face Maccabi Haifa in the Toto Cup Final, after the Greens defeated Maccabi Netanya 2-1 in the other semifinal on Saturday night. Maor Levi opened the scoring for Netanya in the 3rd minute, but Dia Saba equalized in the 26th minute and scored the winner in the 86th minute. The final will be played in December after being postponed due to European play.

Photo credit: Maccabi Tel Aviv


Before then, while other teams are turning their attention to the first round of the League, Maccabi’s opening game against Hapoel Jerusalem was pushed off, with the Yellow & Blue instead focusing on Thursday’s first leg of the Europa League playoff qualifying game against Lazetic’s former team whom he left for Tel Aviv, Serbian club FK TSC.

“I must say that I have to apologize to coach and the league for Hapoel Jerusalem for our postponement of the game. I don’t like that and I know it’s a problem for them and they have another week without a game. But we have a heavy schedule and a lot of traveling, so it was necessary.

“It’s not easy to meet your ex,” Lazetic said of the upcoming European clash. “This is a team that I didn’t want to meet, but this is life. It will be an emotional game for me but also very difficult, it’s a very good team. But now I’m here and I will do everything that I can to win.”

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