Summary: Maccabi Bnei Rayna - Maccabi Tel Aviv 2:0 (Sport 1)
With the points, but also with a lot of room for improvement
mixed emotions in Maccabi Tel Aviv after the victory last night (Monday) 0:2 over Bnei Rayna.
On the one hand, the team is satisfied and happy with entering the second round of the league on the right foot, with a victory without conceding a goal in a not particularly inviting away field.
On the other hand, although Maccabi Tel Aviv scored in the first minutes from the foot of Eran Zahavi, they did not surpass themselves again, did not score another goal before the break and went to nerve-wracking minutes in the second half until they enjoyed an own goal by Nael Khotaba that secured the victory.
"Unlike Umm Al Fahm, we knew how to score first and quickly and after that we had to find the second one and eliminate the game," they said at the club on the way home from the north last night.
Veldan Ivic came up yesterday with his most offensive line-up.
Played for episodes in a 3:4:3 formation, when Yonatan Cohen was asked to join Eran Zahavi and Djorja Yovanovic on the left side.
The Serbian coach brought up Oskar Gloch next to the trio and asked Maor Kandil to support the attack from the right side a lot, yet Maccabi Tel Aviv did not create enough situations to conquer.
Vladan Ivić can cheer up.
Dor Peretz (Photo: Barney Ardov)
Ivić was nevertheless satisfied with several players, led by Dor Peretz.
Maccabi Tel Aviv has a huge competition for the fullback position.
This is the position with the greatest turnover.
Once Dan Glazer, once Eyal Golsa and last night it was Dor Peretz again who started as a fullback and knew how to excellently cook for Zahabi the first goal after breaking into the box from the second line and delivering a cross at the right timing, with precision and power.
It is not yet a breakthrough generation that went to Italy.
He still needs to remove rust from himself, to return to being the best central midfielder in the Premier League, but Ivić can be encouraged after a good game by his player and hope that in the next games, he will go and progress.
Other players who stood out for Maccabi Tel Aviv were Derrick Lucassen and Avi Ricken who leave everything on the grass.
Lucassen is today the best defensive player of Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Nir Bitton does not maintain stability and Enrik Saborit does not come to every game with the same level of vigilance, but Lucassen, who started an improvement trend even before the World Cup break, returned to it with the same sharpness and Ivic has an anchor in his trio of brakes.
Ricken, who was replaced near the end and received applause from the fans who came as far as Nof HaGalil for his investment and commitment, today enjoys a high status with Ivitch.
Zahavi's goal started from his ball recovery and most of his passes in the game were accurate.
He didn't threaten enough, but Maccabi Tel Aviv had enough tools in the front even without him, so the team didn't have to reach a situation where deep into the second half they still couldn't relax with a lead of more than one goal.
"Obviously we need to improve, create more situations and score more," admitted the team last night.
"But it was an important away victory against a team that knows how to defend well and also to sting, so these three points are important and the improvement should be seen in the following games."
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There is still time until Maccabi Haifa.
Daniel Peretz (Photo: Barney Ardov)
The team's goalkeeper Daniel Peretz, who was not bothered too much but was in place in both of Bnei Rayna's situations, said at the press conference after the game: "It was very important to win. We came after a long time without playing in the league and we wanted to start the second round properly. There is nothing like winning and keeping a goal net".
Regarding the fight against Maccabi Haifa and the meeting expected next month, Peretz said: "We are only looking at the upcoming game. There is still a long time until we meet Maccabi Haifa."
About his personal preferences in the World Cup, the goalkeeper of Maccabi Tel Aviv said: "I am very happy that Argentina won the World Cup. I enjoyed this World Cup very much."
sport
Israeli soccer
Super League
Tags
Maccabi Tel Aviv in football
A burst generation