The game of the season between Hapoel Beer Sheva and Maccabi Haifa (Monday, 20:30) will bring together the best defense in the Premier League with the best defense. Each of the two has a different style – that of Roni Levy excels on the defensive side, while Barak Bachar advocates an offensive game that is also reflected in the numbers – and both will stand the test in the intriguing game.
But is Hapoel B’Shlosha’s defense really impenetrable? How will it deal with Haifa’s attacking players who drive the defenses in the Premier League crazy? And what will the green defense have to deal with in the next 90 minutes? Ephraim Davidi From the red side andRafi Osmo From the green side, who will operate on the back line of the two teams ahead of the meeting at Turner Stadium.
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But first, some numbers. Both teams have the best defenses in the Premier League: Haifa, which has found the net 46 times in 17 rounds – more than any other, has conceded 13 mandatory goals and recently maintained a clean sheet in four of the last six league games led by brakemen Sean Goldberg and Bogdan Planic. Only BSB has a better defensive balance than it has and it has conceded only 11 goals, with Miguel Vitor, Hatem Alhamid, Iyad Abu Abid or Eitan Tibi playing in the center of defense.
“Hapoel B’Shlosha plays most of the time with three brakes and it proves itself,” says Ephraim Davidi. As they say, a positive headache. “Everyone is in good shape, despite the recent loss to Maccabi Tel Aviv, because at least in defense everyone is doing their job for the best.”
According to Davidi, “Haifa’s defense is less good in terms of quality differences between the brakes. Except for Planich, the other players are unstable. So Bachar placed Sean Goldberg in the center of the defense and he was good, because he is the kind of player who is assigned a task And wisdom, and this is the move that explains why Haifa’s defense stabilized after conceding a lot of goals at the beginning of the season. Still, Planich is the most important screw in Maccabi Haifa, because he braked at a very high level. He’s just as important as Vitor. “
Osmo claims that the Haifa defense should not be underestimated and mentions: “There is a difference in the style of play of the two teams. BS has good defensive players, but what sets it apart is the defensive game of the whole team. From the beginning, the starting positions of its players are defensive, so Roni Levy makes the whole team stand up correctly and absorb fewer goals, but when you play this way you get a team that is less aggressive and less conquering. Haifa has no weaker defense, just its style of play is completely different because it attacks more.
“In a large part of the game, the defenders are beyond the midline and sometimes even 30-40 meters from the opponent’s goal, so they go forward in attacks and then the whole team is more exposed from behind. Like a front brake, to allow this to happen, to release the defenders forward and stay with minimal damage. For Haifa, this is the mine because “BS is dangerous in the erupting attacks.”
Davidi claims that BS’s lineup creates a bit of confusion: “Haifa has good defenders who participate in the attacking game, but the fact that Roni Levy placed three brakes, it also releases his defenders to function just like wingers. They go upstairs and even threaten the gate when possible. It is impossible to say that Be’er Sheva is making a bunker and winning games on bites in such an array, because recently it has been playing football and it knows how to attack. “
Osmo points to the advantage of the Greens: “Haifa has been playing together for a very long time, this is perhaps its strongest point and it is very important in football. It is true that Sean Goldberg has only recently joined the team, but these are the same defensive players who have been playing together for several years. “Raz Meir, San Menachem, Planich, who is already in his second season and the extra brake that changes, whether it is Ofri Arad, Rami Gershon or Sean Goldberg, all know everyone well and this is a strength that can not be underestimated.”
At the center of the defenses are two quality foreigners. Vitor and Planich touch the ball a lot when they have the ball and the coaches may emphasize that. “Planic also gives help in the attacking game, because a lot of times he leads a ball, goes forward and it breaks down the opponent’s defensive lines,” Osmo said. “Neat, so he will tell his players to pay attention to Planich’s exits and prepare for them accordingly.”
And again, the Haifa attack cannot be ignored, so will BS be able to stop it? Davidi is sure: “They will have a harder time against BS’s brakes. They are experienced, responsible and have the ability to react quickly to any situation.”
On the other hand, Osmo claims that BS’s back trio will not be an obstacle for Haifa’s attacking players. They are much fresher, faster and change places all the time. And when we talk about Haifa’s attack, we are not just talking about two or three players. All players, including the defenders and players who are in the central link positions, take an active part in the offensive game. They press, remove, threaten, enter the arena and everyone does everything. “
Osmo added from his experience and said that “during a game with high intensity, when you face so many attacking players, you do not know where the player will come from who will decide the game and it makes it difficult for you. Exceptional, but the question is how much it will work in this game with a predatory team like Maccabi Haifa that does not stop working and driving the defenses crazy throughout the game. Will be interesting”.
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