Maccabi Haifa Eyes Strong Finish Before Break Against Ironi Tiberias

Maccabi Haifa is set to host Ironi Tiberias on Saturday, aiming to secure 12 out of a possible 15 points before the international break. Coach Barak Bachar is reportedly considering a single change to the lineup that defeated Ironi Kiryat Shmona, with Kenny Saief returning to the left wing after two games on the bench. This would allow Liel Abada to move to his natural attacking midfield position. Pedro Brazão is expected to make his home debut at Sammy Ofer Stadium after a strong performance in his debut match.

Andrea Novaković, who had a subdued game against Kiryat Shmona, is anticipated to complete Bachar's attack. Guy Melamed might return to the squad after participating in recent training sessions, with a final decision pending the team's final practice. However, Silva Kani remains the preferred option over Melamed for now. Noam Steifman, who has been called up to the Israel national team along with Omri Glazer, Yarin Levi, and Eitan Azulai, will play in Saturday's match. He was trained intermittently alongside Daniel Sundgren at left-back, but the expectation is that Bachar will stick with the same defensive quartet from the previous victory.

Maccabi Haifa officials stated ahead of the game, "We are in a process of improvement and connection, and we will try to bring the enthusiasm from the second half of the Kiryat Shmona game. Tiberias is a good, very aggressive team, and we need to be alert." The club also addressed fan protests, urging supporters to focus on cheering. The "Green Monkeys" fan organization responded, noting their request for cheering equipment has not yet been approved.

In other club news, Maccabi Haifa monitored Dixon Mohammad's debut for Hapoel Afula, where he scored his first goal in front of his brother, Ali Mohammad. Dixon Mohammad may join Maccabi Haifa next season. The projected starting lineup includes Omri Glazer; Ilay Tomer, Daniel Sundgren, Shon Goldberg, Kenny Saief; Ali Mohammad, Eitan Azulai, Liel Abada; Pedro Brazão, Andrea Novaković, and Kenny Saief.