Jan Novak
Dailysports's expert
As part of Matchday 35 in the Israeli Premier League, a showdown between the two Maccabis is set to ignite. The clash will take place in Haifa on Monday, 19 May, with kick-off scheduled for 19:30 Central European Time. I'm tipping this one to be a high-scoring affair.
Match preview
After three consecutive championship triumphs, Maccabi Haifa continues to slide down the league table. While last season saw them finish as runners-up, this year the Greens will go no higher than third place.
With two rounds to go, the Greens are five points ahead of Beitar and are close to guaranteeing bronze medals and a spot in next season’s Conference League.
The gap to the leaders has stretched to 16 points, becoming even more critical after two recent defeats. First, Maccabi suffered a humiliating derby loss to Hapoel at home, then were routed by the other Hapoel from Be'er Sheva.
On the bright side, Haifa still boasts a solid squad. Guy Melamed leads the scoring charts with 20 goals, four ahead of teammate Dia Saba, who tops the league with 13 assists.
Maccabi Tel Aviv is the oldest and most decorated club in Israeli football. The team reclaimed the league title last season after a three-year drought, ending the dominance of their upcoming rivals.
The "Yellow Devils" have had a tough time defending their crown. With two matches left, they are level on points with Hapoel Be'er Sheva but trail on tiebreakers.
Following the battle with Maccabi Haifa, Zarko Lazetic's men will wrap up the campaign against Jerusalem’s Beitar. Dropping points in either fixture is not an option, and the team needs to find the net as often as possible. Fortunately, scoring hasn’t been an issue — with 78 goals, Maccabi are the highest-scoring side in the league.
The main attacking force is Dor Turgeman, who has netted 19 goals across all competitions this season. The legendary Eran Zahavi, Israel’s all-time top scorer, continues to shine as well. The 37-year-old veteran bagged a hat-trick in the recent match against Maccabi Netanya.
Match facts
- Maccabi Haifa have lost their last two matches.
- The Greens have won only two of their last nine home games.
- Maccabi Tel Aviv have both scored and conceded in seven consecutive matches.
- Lazetic’s men have scored in 16 away matches in a row.
- Maccabi Haifa average 1.85 goals per home game, while Maccabi Tel Aviv average 2.6 goals per away match.
Probable line-ups
- Maccabi Haifa: Kayuf, Elimelech, Sek, Sirota, Saief, Ehud, Azulay, Haziza, Saba, Rafaelov, Melamed.
- Maccabi Tel Aviv: Sluga, Asante, Stojic, Lemkin, Revivo, Kanichowsky, Sissoko, Peretz, Davida, Turgeman, Zahavi.
H2H
- Maccabi Tel Aviv are unbeaten in their last five matches against Maccabi Haifa.
- The last three meetings between these teams in Haifa have all ended in victories for the visitors.
Prediction
The bookmakers favor the visitors, given their stronger squad and current form. And with the league title on the line, Maccabi Tel Aviv simply have to claim all three points in Haifa. The hosts haven’t secured their season-long objective just yet, but their main rival Beitar faces both league leaders in the final rounds. A five-point cushion allows Haifa to feel relatively safe in third, but they'll surely look to put up a fight. Expect an entertaining, intriguing clash — my bet is on both teams to score.
