Maccabi Haifa Coach Blames Defense After Loss to Maccabi Tel Aviv

Maccabi Haifa coach Barak Bakhar expressed disappointment following his team's 3-1 loss to Maccabi Tel Aviv at Bloomfield Stadium on Monday. "We felt we could win today, and then we made a mistake with the penalty. We felt we could do it, and it's very disappointing," Bakhar stated, describing a sense of missed opportunity. He acknowledged the team's failure in terms of the result, particularly after conceding a penalty, which he felt led to a "breakdown." Bakhar defended his tactical decisions, asserting that he makes choices based on his beliefs and would resign if he didn't.

Regarding the defense, Bakhar noted it was a relatively new back four that needed time to gel. He specifically addressed the central defenders, calling them "fast, good" and "our last problem," suggesting that while they are individually capable, issues might stem from the team as a whole. He mentioned that one defender, Pedrau, might not be at 100% fitness. Bakhar was generally satisfied with the second half, believing the team showed potential for strength and improvement as they gain fitness.

He attributed the first-half struggles to a lack of aggression and naivety, contrasting it with a more dominant second half where Maccabi Haifa controlled play more effectively, despite conceding on a counter-attack. Goalkeeper Omri Glazer echoed the sentiment of disappointment, emphasizing the importance of the result for the fans over individual performance. Glazer felt the team was prepared and did not believe there were significant quality differences between the two sides.