Maccabi Tel Aviv enters one of the most important weeks of its season. After last season she finished without any title, tonight (Monday, 18:00, live on 5SPORT) she will try to qualify for the cup final when she meets Eroni Nes Ziona. “It’s fun, like any game for a title,” said Guy Panini – who won the state cup with Maccabi 7 times. “The excitement is great, we are happy to be in this position, it is a very special title for us and we are preparing accordingly.”
Maccabi Tel Aviv remembers well how the cup semi-finals ended last season, with the same painful loss in the derby that led to the dismissal of Yanis Spropoulos. This season, the Yellows will hope to make amends, this time with Oded Ketch on the lines – who led Hapoel Jerusalem to win two cups, one of them in the Arena Guy Panini, by the way, has no less than 10 state trophies in total.
Maccabi Tel Aviv has already met Ness Ziona once this season, in the first round of the league – a game in which the Yellows won, while DJ Cooper broke the league’s historic assist record with 20. “It was a long time ago, so we were less prepared for Cooper And how dominant he is in the way he plays there,” Panini said. “This time it will be a different story because both teams are more trained. Time was good for both teams.”
Maccabi Tel Aviv, as you remember, is coming off a frustrating loss to Red Star in the Euroleague, but tonight will feature Lorenzo Brown back in the lineup, who is returning from the sprained ankle that sidelined him for three weeks. This will be the center back’s first game since he extended his contract until the 2026 season. At the same time, Maccabi Tel Aviv “A continues negotiations to renew Wade Baldwin’s contract for two more seasons.
The Yellows will not feel a home atmosphere too tonight, as about a thousand Maccabi fans are expected to arrive at the hall in Jerusalem. If Maccabi Tel Aviv advances to the final on Thursday, it is estimated that at least 4,000 spectators from the Tel Aviv side will come.