27th round of the 2019/20 “TA Stock Exchange” League: After almost 3 months without football, the Israeli Premier League is back. Maccabi Haifa hosted Hapoel Tel Aviv in the first match of the upper playoffs. Paul Groves, the assistant manager, replaced Marco Balbul as the man on the lines this evening.
Maccabi’s line-up: Josh Cohen, Ernest Mabouka, Ayad Habashi, Trent Sainsbury, Rami Gershon, Ofri Arad, Sintayehu Sallallich, Tjaronn Chery, Yanic Wildschut, Raz Meir, Nikita Rukavytsya.
Hapoel Tel Aviv’s line-up: Arik Yanko, Iyad Abu Abaid, Orel Dgani, Raz Shlomo, Doron Leidner, Shay Izan, Amit Meir, Emmanuel Boateng, Moti Barshazky, Maor Buzaglo, Michael Olaha.
Kick off
2’ Chery finds himself in a good situation arranged by Meir and Rukavytsya, but his shot is blocked.
14’ Maor Buzaglo passes the ball to Moti Barshazky who scores and gives the lead to Hapoel. 0:1
18’ Yellow card: Michael Olaha
25’ Raz Meir delivers the ball to Sallallich who shoots, but the ball is cleared from the goal line.
26’ Yellow card: Sintayehu Sallallich
38’ Yellow card: Rami Gershon
Second half
46’ Substitution for Maccabi: Yarden Shua and Maxim Plakuschenko in, Ofri Arad and Rami Gershon out.
47’ Yellow card: Ayad Habashi
56’ Substitution for Maccabi: Ikouwem Utin in, Raz Meir out.
66’ Substitution for Maccabi: Muhammad Awad in, Yanic Wildschut out.
69’ Omer Damari scores after an assist by Abu Abaid. 2:0 for Hapoel Tel Aviv
74’ After a turmoil inside the visitors penalty area Sallallich passes the ball to Awad who shoots from 10 meters, but the ball goes above the crossbar.
80’ Maxim Plakuschenko shoots powerfully with his left foot from outside the box and narrows the score, 1:2.
85’ Substitution for Maccabi: Stav Nachmani in, Sintayehu Sallallich out.
90’ Yellow card: Ilay Tamam
90’+5’ Final whistle at Sammy Ofer. Maccabi losses 1:2 to Hapoel Tel Aviv.