Almog Cohen Debuts as Premier League Coach Against Former Club Maccabi Netanya

Almog Cohen will make his Premier League coaching debut on Saturday evening when his team, Beitar Jerusalem, faces his former club, Maccabi Netanya. Cohen previously served as Netanya's sporting director, and his first match as a head coach pits him against one of Israeli football's most experienced managers, Roni Levy. This matchup highlights the growing tactical trend in Israeli football known as "build-up play," which involves advancing the ball from the defensive third to create better attacking opportunities and catch opponents off guard.

The article analyzes the prevalence of build-up play across the 14 Premier League teams by measuring the percentage of passes made in their own half. The top teams in this metric were Bnei Sakhnin (61.6%), Maccabi Netanya (58.5%), and Hapoel Petah Tikva (58.4%). However, there is no clear correlation between high build-up play percentages and league success. For example, Maccabi Netanya finished seventh despite scoring 59 goals, while Hapoel Be'er Sheva, the champions, had the lowest build-up play rate (41.5%) and focused more on pressing high up the pitch.

Be'er Sheva's approach, which involves defenders making many passes in the opponent's half, requires exceptional fitness, a strong midfield, and quick reactions, contributing to their successful comebacks last season. Cohen may attempt a similar style with Beitar Jerusalem this year. The article also discusses the risks of build-up play, especially if the defensive "safety net" is weak. Netanya conceded 63 goals last season despite their offensive output and made nine penalties against them, illustrating the dangers of this tactic.

Ultimately, build-up play is a tactical choice dependent on team composition. Teams with defenders who can initiate attacks and creative forwards who exploit quick chances can benefit from systematic passing from the back. However, if mistakes occur, the approach can be costly. With strong forwards like Matheus Dabo, Netanya could capitalize on errors if Beitar pursues build-up play aggressively. The article concludes that football is won by either doing more or making fewer mistakes, and it will be interesting to see which team executes better in this tactical duel.