Bournemouth will face Maccabi Tel Aviv in a friendly match on Sunday as they conclude their warm-weather training camp in Marbella. Bournemouth impressed in their previous friendly against Hibernian, winning 4-0 with goals from David Brooks, Jaidon Anthony, and Philip Billing. New signing Justin Kluivert also provided two assists. This match will be Andoni Iraola’s first in charge since taking over from Gary O’Neil, who was sacked at the end of last season. Iraola has been praised for his previous managerial success with Rayo Vallecano in Spain and will be looking to continue the positive momentum with Bournemouth.
On the other hand, Maccabi Tel Aviv suffered a 1-0 loss to the Orlando Pirates in their previous friendly match. The Israeli side finished third in the league last season and will be looking to improve their performance in the upcoming campaign. They have recently appointed Robbie Keane as their manager, and this will be his second match in charge. Keane, a former player for Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool, is beginning his managerial career with Maccabi Tel Aviv.
In terms of team news, Bournemouth confirmed the permanent signing of Romain Faivre from Lyon, but he has been loaned back to Lorient for the upcoming season. They have also made other signings including Kluivert and Hamed Traore. However, they have a few injury concerns with Adam Smith, Ryan Fredericks, and Joe Rothwell in the medical bay. Maccabi Tel Aviv, on the other hand, have no known fitness concerns, but goalkeeper Or Yitzhak is still recovering from an operation.
Possible lineups for the match could see Neto, Hill, Mepham, Senesi, Greenwood, Ouattara, Cook, Billing, Kluivert, Christie, and Moore starting for Bournemouth. Maccabi Tel Aviv could field Peretz, Macon, Luckassen, Saborit, Revivo, Bitton, Glazer, Peretz, Cohen, Zahavi, and Milson.
In terms of predictions, Sports Mole expects Bournemouth to continue their impressive form and win the match 2-0. Both teams have new managers in charge, but Bournemouth showcased their attacking prowess in their previous friendly and are likely to continue their winning streak. Maccabi Tel Aviv will provide more competition than Hibernian, but they still may struggle against the Cherries’ attacking lineup.
This friendly match marks the end of Bournemouth’s training camp in Marbella, and they will return to the UK for their final friendlies before the start of the Premier League season. Their first league match will be against West Ham United. Maccabi Tel Aviv, on the other hand, will have a Toto Cup match against Hapoel after this friendly. They will also be looking to prepare for the upcoming season and improve on their previous campaign.
