1.
If they were to examine the league according to feelings, Maccabi Haifa would have a gap of 15 points at the top of the table.
Hapoel B'Shlosha has scored four goals in its last seven games, suffers from a lack of trust between the coach and the crowd (and probably between the coach and some of the players) and Maccabi Tel Aviv has already coached three coaches.
Haifa, with a player who looks above the league, great staff, quiet management, a great coach and a powerful crowd, but all this does not help it open a gap at the top of the table and it is clear that the system is under pressure.
The pressure was manifested with a change in Bachar's lineup and an attempt to surprise in a 5: 3: 2 lineup with Rodriguez as right-back and Alphonse's Haziza as wing defenders, an attempt that failed in the first half.
In the 57th minute, Bachar made the winning move with the introduction of Sherry and beyond the classic set of 4: 3: 3, a move that in just over ten minutes yielded two goals, including a goal in a large personal operation by Sherry, which showed his place in 11th.
Haifa is back to winning, opening a gap of four goals, and what is more important for it, eight points from Maccabi Tel Aviv, which at the current momentum, at least for Haifa fans, seems to be the main rival for the title.
Lavi's return and Chibuta's arrival are professionally welcomed, but have slightly upset the balance and rotation, and Bachar will emphasize this until the end.
Once he finds the balanced lineup, there is a feeling that Haifa will win the championship long before the last round.
Bachar Basmi Ofer, Photo: Maor Elkelsi
2.
Mladen Krestic arrived at Maccabi Tel Aviv with a lot of question marks around him. A 47-year-old coach, who although coached the Serbian team (a position he got by chance and was not successful), but coached only 12 league games in Serbia and his selection seemed the default. Eight in mid-December last year he received a team that did not believe in its previous coach and it is already clear that he is the complete opposite of his predecessor in office.
In the game against Hapoel Haifa, we received a refined summary of his game management.
A coach who thinks attacking, gives clear priority to connections with offensive abilities, lives the game, changes formations but not as a whim, but according to what happens on the lawn (changed the lineup three times) and is mostly open-minded towards the players.
Against the Reds from Carmel, he earned Brandly Quas, a player who was seen with a foot and a half out of the club and went into the game excellently at half-time;
And of course Matan Baltexa, who becomes the team's senior brake.
Krestajic.
A new spirit in Maccabi Tel Aviv, Photo: Alan Shiber
The coach's diversity and his ability to keep an open mind tactically and managerially, brought Maccabi Tel Aviv back to the battle for second place, and maybe, with a little help from friends, they will bring it closer to Maccabi Haifa a little more towards the playoffs. A contract for half a season, definitely shows that he deserves to continue to receive credit in the position and maybe from this messy season, Maccabi Tel Aviv at least gained a quality coach for next season.
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