Maccabi Tel Aviv Clinches Pre-Season Victory Against Omonia in Poland

Zarko Lazetic’s Maccabi Tel Aviv squad wrapped up their 10-day pre-season training camp in Poland with a convincing victory against Omonia, setting a positive tone ahead of the upcoming Super Cup clash against Maccabi Petah Tikva.

Lazetic’s team, who previously secured two wins and a draw in their friendly matches, entered the fixture against Omonia with high spirits and tactical adjustments. One notable change in the lineup saw Dan Biton taking the field to replace Henry Addo on the wing.

During the first half, the Israeli side had two goals disallowed by the Polish referee, leading to a goalless scoreline at halftime.

In the second half, Lazetic made strategic substitutions, introducing Matan Baltaxa for Avishay Chen, shifting Idan Nachmias to right-back. Matan Hozez entered the game for Bar Lin, and Eran Zahavi replaced Saied Abu Farhi in the attacking position.

The changes made an immediate impact for Maccabi Tel Aviv, with Roi Mishpati making crucial saves to deny Omonia from taking the lead. The breakthrough came in the 61st minute when Zahavi set up Gabi Kanichowsky, leading to a penalty after a foul on Dor Peretz inside the box.

Zahavi calmly converted the penalty, putting Maccabi in the lead. The Israeli side continued to pressure Omonia, with Biton almost doubling the lead from a free kick shortly after.

Further substitutions were made by Lazetic, including Shahar Rosen coming on for Ofir Davidzada and Ofek Melika replacing Mishpati in goal. Peretz and Biton made way for Nadav Niddam and Yoanatan Cohen in the closing stages of the match.

Yoanatan Cohen had a close chance to assist Maccabi’s second goal, with his corner kick finding Baltaxa, whose header narrowly missed the target in the 81st minute. However, just three minutes later, Cohen and Niddam combined effectively, resulting in Niddam scoring the second goal for Maccabi Tel Aviv.

With the final whistle, Maccabi secured a 2-0 victory over Omonia, further boosting their confidence ahead of future competitive fixtures.