In the Haifa Derby late Monday night in the capital, Maccabi crushed Hapoel 4-1 as Dia Saba scored a brace to lead the Greens to victory. Though it was a Hapoel home game, it took place at Jerusalem’s Teddy Stadium, given the current security situation and regulations.
Barak Bachar’s team broke the deadlock just before halftime, with Haifa’s Saba scoring from close range to take a 1-0 lead into the break.
Guy Melamed equalized for the Carmel Reds with a penalty in the 53rd minute, but Lior Refaelov returned the favor shortly thereafter, scoring a penalty after a handball in the box to give Maccabi a 2-1 lead. Saba struck again in the 83rd minute, while Xander Severina scored a stunning goal to the right, smashing the ball home to secure the three points for the Greens.
“We talk a lot about the situation, connecting the mental side of the game to the professional side for the players,” Bachar said. “When the foreign players came, we told them there would be 30,000 fans in Sammy Ofer Stadium, but suddenly we’re entering bomb shelters – it’s not easy. We need to give them time to adjust and not immediately judge. Playing with three central defenders worked, but sometimes that approach doesn’t necessarily bring results. We need to adjust the system to play to their strengths.”
“I’m very disappointed; this is a difficult result for us,” Hapoel Haifa’s coach Roni Levy said. “We were in the game at 1-1 and 2-1, but there were too many soft penalties. We were punished and paid the price. There are things I prefer not to discuss. We don’t have the depth other teams do, but we have a good squad.”
Earlier, Beitar Jerusalem smashed Hapoel Hadera 4-0, with four different scorers finding the back of the net to secure the win and the points for the yellow-and-black.
Patrick Twumasi drilled home a free kick in the seventh minute, while Yarden Shua added a penalty 25 minutes later to make it 2-0 at halftime. Timoti Muzi added another in the second half, and Adi Yona completed the scoring with a rebound goal in the 70th minute.
Following the match
Following the match, Hadera head coach Haim Silvas was relieved of his duties, and Assaf Nimni was appointed as the club’s new head coach.
“This was a very important victory,” Beitar coach Barak Itzhaki said. “We made the game look easy. I expected a tough match, but the players’ energy, pace, and control made it easier. It’s great to be in first place. I’m not going to lie; Beitar hasn’t seen this in years, but we have to stay grounded – it’s very early in the season.”
In a game played in Beersheba due to security concerns, Ironi Kiryat Shmona stunned Maccabi Tel Aviv with a 1-0 victory, courtesy of a late Muhammad Abu Rumi goal.
Each team was awarded a penalty, but both failed to convert, allowing the Northerners to take home the points.
“We’ve beaten Maccabi before,” Kiryat Shmona coach Shay Barda said. “This win was important, but it’s not the biggest of my career. We have a team that’s committed to success and believes in the path we’re on.”
“I want to congratulate Kiryat Shmona,” Tel Aviv coach Zarko Lazetic said. “These things happen; soccer is sometimes a game of life and death. We tried our best to break through, but they played with ten players behind the ball. We had some chances in the second half, but luck wasn’t on our side as Eran Zahavi, a great penalty taker, missed.”
Meanwhile, Maccabi Netanya edged Hapoel Jerusalem 3-2 as Igor Zlatanovic scored a brace to lead the visitors to victory.
Zlatanovic got off to a quick start with a headed goal in the seventh minute and followed up 10 minutes later to give the Diamond City side a 2-0 lead. Cedric Don cut the lead to 2-1 soon after, and Ibeh Ransom equalized in the 51st minute. However, Heriberto Tavares scored the winning goal in the 76th minute to secure the victory.
“The points are what matters most,” said Netanya’s new head coach, Yossi Abukasis. “We had both good and bad moments in the game, but winning is the key.”
“We started badly and gave Netanya what they shouldn’t have had,” Jerusalem coach Ziv Arie said. “We had good momentum at 2-2, but we couldn’t capitalize on it. It cost us the game, which is a shame. We’ll review and work on what needs to be fixed.”
Elsewhere, Hapoel Beersheba cruised past Ashdod SC 3-1, with three second-half goals securing the win for the Southern Reds.
After a goalless first half, Matan Baltaxa broke the deadlock just after the break. Kings Kangwa added a goal off a counter-attack to make it 2-0, and Or Blorian’s own-goal in the 78th minute brought Ashdod within one. Alon Turgeman sealed the win with an injury-time goal.
“The tactical change at halftime made the difference,” a satisfied Ron Kozuk said. “We decided to play on the wings instead of through the middle. Ashdod is a strong team, but I’m glad our adjustments paid off quickly.”
“This was very disappointing,” Ashdod head coach Eli Levy said. “We pulled back to 2-1 and had control, but missing four clear scoring opportunities is unacceptable. When you miss those chances, you’re bound to concede.”
Bnei Sakhnin defeated Maccabi Bnei Reineh 1-0 thanks to a late goal by Matanel Tadisa, giving the Galilee side a much-needed victory.
“In our worst game this season, we still won,” Sakhnin coach Slobodan Drapic said. “We’ve lost points in games where we played well and won in games where we didn’t, but the victory was crucial.”
“We started well,” Reineh coach Sharon Mimer said. “We controlled the game and should have led by halftime. It’s frustrating to lose the points after conceding on their only second-half attack. Still, with 14 points, we’re in the top six and looking forward to our next game against Ashdod.”
Finally, Maccabi Petah Tikva and Ironi Tiberias played to a scoreless draw, with each team taking a point.
“This was a typical lower-half table game,” Tiberias coach Eliran Hodeda said. “There were physical battles but few scoring chances. Both teams needed to halt negative momentum, but to win, you have to score.”
“It was a disappointing result,” Petach Tikva head coach Dan Roman said. “We expected more creativity and better flow in the game. We were solid defensively, but on offense, we lacked decisiveness.”
This article was originally published at www.jpost.com
