A noble paradox: why does the Maccabi Haifa star flourish in the league and disappear in Europe?

While Omer Atzili is rising in the Champions League as a complementary player, in the Premier League he is still the deadliest tiebreaker.

David Rosenthal tries to explain why, recognizes Ivitch's new challenge and wonders if Benny Lem and Eliniv Barda are approaching a dangerous area

David Rosenthal

11/09/2022

Sunday, September 11, 2022, 12:30 p.m

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Summary: Maccabi Haifa - Section Nes Ziona 1:3 (Sport1)

On Tuesday, just moments before Maccabi Haifa's match in Lisbon, Eyal Berkovic said in the pregame program on the Sport Channel something that sounds like a typical Berkovic statement, but one that is nevertheless worth dwelling on.

He referred to the fact that Omer Azili, the best player in the league in Israel, does not start games in Europe, saying "I would not agree to that."

Of course, "I wouldn't agree to that" has a wide range of possibilities - you can disagree and keep quiet, you can disagree and turn the tables and so on.

Atzil, even if he disagrees ideologically, aligned himself and will continue to align himself with Barak Bacher's decisions.

A player, every player, has to do what the coach tells him to do, especially in a professionally engineered team like Maccabi Haifa.

Still, the feeling arises that there is something in Berkovic's words that is consistent with logic.

If we move from professional clichés, which are basically correct, to terms of justice, Azili deserves an opportunity on the big stage.

One for the league, one for the Champions.

Atzili continues to bombard (Photo: Maor Alxalsi)

But Bacher knows very well that in the next two months he will have two teams - one for the league and one for the champions.

He knows so much that he gives his opponents in League Four a full half.

In the first four rounds, Maccabi Haifa went into the break in a tie, in three of which they conceded.

The ratio of her goals in the first 45 minutes: 3:3.

The ratio of goals in the last: 0:7, with Atzili scoring three and cooking two of these goals.

Today there is no tie breaker in the Premier League like Azili.

Among the multitude of professional reasons, such as the need for physicality and a more controlled game in Europe, in a season that is expected to be long, exhausting and intense, Bacher understands that he must correctly distribute the minutes of his greatest ace.

Atzili, it should be remembered, was injured during last season and missed several games and was also injured this season in the game against Olympiakos.

Maccabi Haifa understands that there is no choice.

Apparently he also understands and he doesn't have to "agree to it" at all.

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Ivitch in pursuit

Maccabi Tel Aviv's draw in Ashdod can be attributed to many factors, but the bottom line is this is a reasonable result.

Even in Paulo Sousa's magical season, she finished there in a tie and was later eliminated from the cup.

It was a tough game against a trained team, and if it wasn't for the good ability of Daniel Peretz, even this draw would not have been achieved.

Still, Vladan Ivić's anger after the match against Kiryat Shmona was officially rebuffed last night.

Djorja Jovanovic's red left him with a poor front link, no real go to guy.

It's a bit strange to write "without Go To Guy" on a team that has Eran Zahavi, but Zahavi still needs time.

After poor preparation for the season, he is in no shape to carry Maccabi Tel Aviv on his shoulders, especially as the only striker in the squad.

One can deal with the question of why Gluch was not in the lineup, but Ivic earned a little too much credit to answer such a question.

Not yet Go To Guy.

Zahavi (Photo: Liron Moldovan)

The fact that Maccabi Haifa does not lose points worries many yellows, but it should be remembered that this is a typical trend for teams that advance to the Champions League.

Maccabi Haifa of 2002/3 ran over the league, that of 2009/10 started with ten consecutive victories, Maccabi Tel Aviv 2015/16 also had a small gap over Hapoel Beer Sheva, including an away victory in the direct meeting between them.

All of them, for different reasons, did not win the championship.

Maccabi Haifa currently has a murderous momentum and paralyzing deterrence, the question is when will the period come that will crack its confidence, and an equally important question is what will be the gap from Maccabi Tel Aviv at that time.

Ivić himself is currently in an unfamiliar situation.

In his previous two years he crushed the competition, once after one round, the second time it took him two rounds.

He knows that it is impossible to take his foot off the gas, that at least for the moment he will have to chase.

There is no disputing the fact that he is a good coach, but we have yet to see him conduct a real head-to-head battle with a team that, at least on paper, is better than his.

His dream opening was celebrated in Ashdod and brought Maccabi Tel Aviv back to reality.

We will find the initial reaction to this pinch against Beitar Jerusalem.

Netanya is losing ground

Bnei Lam and Maccabi Netanya were the official refreshers of last season.

Lamm replaced Raymond Etfeld after four winless seasons and led the team to the top playoffs, leaving a bright impression.

The draw in Turkey against Shakhsir, together with the feeling of missing out in the return leg, created a picture of the continuation of the momentum.

The defeat to Maccabi Haifa still made sense, but the loss to Hapoel Tel Aviv, who came into the game on the boards, exposed the weaknesses of Maccabi Netanya, which suffers from a mediocre defense and an anemic midfield that does not show any of its ability last year.

Only by a miracle did the team survive last night from losing to Sakhnin.

After four rounds, Netanya has four points, only two more than Etfeld's team when he was fired.

Lem owes to his side the players who brought him to the heights, and especially a more significant contribution from Aden Kartsev, who will have to come out of the shock of neutralizing the move to Russia, and Aviv Avraham.

Not the same group.

Lem (Photo: Barney Ardov)

In the next round, Netanya goes to another away game, this time against Nir Klinger and Hapoel Haifa.

The meaning of this match is huge for both coaches.

Klinger knows that another game without a win will increase the pressure on his shoulders.

If he doesn't win, Lem himself will start to feel some of that unfamiliar pressure.

Not only if, but also how

Hapoel Beer Sheva's draw in Vienna somewhat disappeared from the public eye between the remnants of Maccabi Haifa's match in Lisbon and the basketball team's fiasco at EuroBasket.

It was a good result, but an away draw in the Conference League is not as exciting as a respectable loss in the Champions League, and it is likely that if Eliniv Barda had to choose between a good result in Austria and a win in Bloomfield tonight against Hapoel Tel Aviv, he would have opted for the second option.

Breda didn't think he would get to this meeting when both teams had the same number of points.

Theoretically, Beer Sheva is of higher quality than Po'el Tel Aviv.

Practically, the football she plays is very poor quality.

He will have to manage in this game without Ramzi Spori, who is away, and as a rule - to calm down his players who managed in the losses to Ashdod and Maccabi Haifa battlegrounds.

On the other hand, Hapoel Tel Aviv won in Netanya against expectations.

There the pressure level actually decreased, but tonight's loss will raise it immediately.

Dor Micha and Hapoel Be'er Sheva must win in Bloomfield (photo: official website, Hapoel "Victory" Be'er Sheva)

Any result, even a draw, in this clash will produce an interesting event, especially for the visitors.

If Be'er Sheva doesn't win, it will already move away from Maccabi Haifa to an area of ​​8-9 points and will be forced to update its goals this season.

Breda knows he owes three points from this game.

The question is not only if he will achieve them, but also how it will happen.

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• Israeli soccer

• Super League

Tags

• Omar Azili

• Maccabi Haifa