Maccabi Haifa's Andrea Novakovich Starts as Striker in Key Match

Maccabi Haifa will feature Andrea Novakovich in their starting lineup for the first time as the team faces Hapoel Petah Tikva on Saturday. Novakovich, who previously came off the bench against Hapoel Ramat Gan and in a loss to Maccabi Tel Aviv, is set to play as the central striker, a role he is expected to fill throughout the season. He will be joined upfront by Kenny Saief and Cedric D'on.

In his initial appearances, Novakovich demonstrated a tendency to drop back and participate in ball movement. Maccabi Haifa is anticipated to adopt a more tactically flexible formation, relying on the speed of D'on and the forward play of Bruninho. This approach contrasts with that of Silva Kani, who also played as a forward but primarily moved forward.

Novakovich has registered one shot on goal so far, a header in stoppage time against Maccabi Tel Aviv, and won two out of three duels in that match. Last season, he started 15 games in Italy's second division, scoring five goals and providing one assist. He is under contract for two years and earns approximately 300,000 euros per season.

Last year, Novakovich averaged 1.2 key passes per 90 minutes for a lower-table team in Italy's second tier. The 1.92-meter forward is known for his physical presence and recorded a top speed of 34 km/h last season.