Mac TA aims to cure road woes at Ashdod

The yellow-and-blue has won just one of its past five road games, picking up only 14 of a possible 27 points on its travels this season.

By ALLON SINAI
Maccabi Tel Aviv coach Oscar Garcia 370 (photo credit: Adi Avishai)
Maccabi Tel Aviv coach Oscar Garcia 370
(photo credit: Adi Avishai)
Maccabi Tel Aviv climbed back atop the Premier League standings with another dominant performance at Bloomfield Stadium earlier this week, but nevertheless its form away from home has been a cause for concern so far this season.
The yellow-and-blue thrashed Hapoel Beersheba 5-0 at Bloomfield on Monday, winning for the eighth time in nine home encounters, including its past four by a combined goal difference of 17-3.
However, it has won just one of its past five road games, picking up only 14 of a possible 27 points on its travels this season.
Tel Aviv will aim to improve on that record on Saturday when it visits the floundering Ashdod SC.
After a promising start to the season, Ashdod has lost six of its last eight matches and is not looking forward to Saturday’s showdown against rampant Maccabi.
The yellow-and-blue will be hoping to mount pressure on its title rivals, with second- placed Hapoel Tel Aviv not hosting Betar Jerusalem until Monday night, while third-placed Maccabi Haifa visits Hapoel Ramat Gan on Sunday.
“The last game was a good result for us but it was finished when the referee whistled to the end and the next day we had to think about the match against Ashdod,” said Maccabi coach Oscar Garcia, who claimed he was unaware of the speculation he might be hired as an assistant to former Barcelona teammate Pep Guardiola at Bayern Munich next season.
Also Saturday, rock-bottom Hapoel Haifa hosts Hapoel Ramat Hasharon, Maccabi Netanya visits Hapoel Acre, Bnei Yehuda welcomes Bnei Sakhnin and Hapoel Beersheba plays Ironi Kiryat Shmona.