Maccabi Haifa to Start Pedro in Defense After 18 Months in Toto Cup Match

Maccabi Haifa is set to host Hapoel Jerusalem on Monday evening in the final Toto Cup match, serving as a rehearsal before the league opener against Hapoel Ramat Gan. Coach Barak Bachar plans a defensive surprise by starting Pedro in central defense for the first time in an official match since the 2024/25 season. The club has not yet made a final decision regarding Pedro's status, which depends on the release of Peter Agba and the possible last-minute signing of a foreign player, though the latter is considered unlikely.

Tsunami will play as left-back for the upcoming league matches, with Yila Btayi and Nigel Lonwijk completing the defensive quartet alongside Pedro. Omri Glazer will return as goalkeeper. In the attack, due to Andrea Novakovic's registration issues, Silva Kani will start, with Cedric Don and Manuel Benson sharing playing time.

Additionally, Maccabi Haifa announced the signing of goalkeeper Omer Nir'on as backup to Omri Glazer. Nir'on is in the final stages of recovery and is expected to miss the league opener against Hapoel Ramat Gan but may be ready for the match against Maccabi Tel Aviv. The projected starting lineup includes Glazer; Btayi, Lonwijk, Pedro, Tsunami; Yarin Levi, Eitan Azulai, Bronninio; Cedric Don, Kenji Hura, and Silva Kani.