Maccabi Haifa Coach Blames Defense After Loss to Maccabi Tel Aviv

Maccabi Haifa's head coach, Barak Bakhar, expressed disappointment following his team's 3-1 defeat to Maccabi Tel Aviv at Bloomfield Stadium on Monday. Bakhar acknowledged the loss as a "missed opportunity" and "very disappointing," stating that while it's too early to fully assess the team after only two league games, he saw significant improvement in the second half.

He attributed the first-half struggles to a lack of aggression and naivety, but believes a strong team is emerging. Bakhar felt the team could have equalized early in the second half and deserved more goals, but a penalty conceded led to a "breakdown" that should not have happened.

Addressing the team's defense, Bakhar described the back four as relatively new and requiring time to gel. He specifically mentioned the central defenders, calling them "very fast, good" and stating they are "the last of our problems," suggesting issues lie with the entire team's performance. He also noted that Pedrau might not be at 100% fitness.

Bakhar defended his tactical decisions, asserting that he makes choices based on his beliefs and would resign if he didn't. Goalkeeper Omri Glazer echoed the disappointment, emphasizing the importance of the result for the fans over individual performance. He felt the team started aggressively but became too soft in the first half, though they controlled more of the second half before conceding on a counter-attack.