Maccabi Tel Aviv Held to 0-0 Draw by Bnei Sakhnin, Loses Perfect Record

Maccabi Tel Aviv missed an opportunity to maintain a perfect start to the Israeli Premier League season on Saturday, drawing 0-0 with Bnei Sakhnin at Bloomfield Stadium. Despite dominating possession and creating numerous chances, the team coached by Kenny Miller failed to score for the first time this season, thus losing its first points after six matches.

Maccabi Tel Aviv outshot their opponents 33 to 4, enjoyed 78% ball possession, and had an expected goals (xG) of 2.01. They also completed five times more passes and earned 13 corner kicks compared to Sakhnin's two. However, only six of their shots were on target, and Sakhnin's goalkeeper, Raul Balbrao, had a standout performance, saving every attempt that came his way.

Bnei Sakhnin, meanwhile, offered little in attack, with most of their advances ending in lost possession or speculative long-range shots. Their single shot on target was easily saved, and they were content to defend and secure a point away from home.

Despite the frustrating result, Maccabi Tel Aviv's midfielder Gabi Kaniukovsky delivered another strong performance, contributing significantly on both offense and defense. Additionally, Helio Varela made his return to the field in the final 20 minutes, showing no signs of rust.

Maccabi Tel Aviv now has 16 points from a possible 18, while Bnei Sakhnin sits in tenth place. The gap between Maccabi Tel Aviv and second-place Maccabi Haifa could narrow to three points if Haifa wins their upcoming match.