Rare Colautti tally lifts Mac TA

Maccabi Tel Aviv climbs back into contention for European qualification on Monday night, beating Maccabi Netanya 1-0.

By ALLON SINAI
Colautti 311 (photo credit: Adi Avishai)
Colautti 311
(photo credit: Adi Avishai)
Maccabi Tel Aviv climbed back into contention for European qualification on Monday night, beating Maccabi Netanya 1-0 thanks to Roberto Colautti’s 83rd-minute winner.
The out-of-favor striker netted his first league goal in more than three months with a cool finish after some excellent build-up work by Barak Itzhaki, giving Tel Aviv all three points and taking it up to fifth place on 52 points.
That is just three points below second-placed Hapoel Tel Aviv and one point under Bnei Yehuda and Maccabi Netanya with three more matches to play this season.
“This was a very important match for us,” said Colautti. “I received a superb ball from Barak and did what I know to do.”
The teams that finish the season in second and third place will book a Europa League berth, while fourth will also be sufficient should Hapoel Tel Aviv, Maccabi Haifa or Ashdod SC, who will all play in the State Cup semifinals with Ironi Ramat Hasharon on Wednesday, end the season among the top three and go on to lift the cup.
“We played okay in the first half, but we weren’t sharp enough on the offensive end in the second half and paid the price,” said Maccabi Netanya coach Reuven Atar, who will guide Maccabi Haifa next season.
“I’m fully focused on guiding Netanya to Europe and I will only turn my focus to Haifa once the season ends.”