Beitar Jerusalem and Maccabi Tel Aviv played to an entertaining 0-0 draw at Teddy Stadium, while Hapoel Tel Aviv overcame an early red card to defeat Ironi Tiberias 1-0 in a dramatic round of Israeli Premier League action.
Elsewhere, Maccabi Haifa came from behind to beat Maccabi Petah Tikva 2-1, Hapoel Beersheba scored twice late to defeat Hapoel Jerusalem by the same score, Maccabi Netanya edged Kiryat Shmona 1-0, Hapoel Ramat Gan beat Hapoel Haifa 2-0, and Bnei Sakhnin defeated Hapoel Petah Tikva 2-0.
More than 30,000 fans packed Teddy Stadium as Beitar and Maccabi renewed their rivalry in a crucial early-season clash between two title contenders. The match also marked Beitar’s long-awaited return to its home ground after spending the summer playing at Bloomfield Stadium while a new hybrid pitch was installed.
Maccabi started aggressively, with Helio Varela involved in dangerous attacks that saw Dor Peretz and Sagiv Yehezkel come close. Varela later unleashed a powerful strike that narrowly missed the target, while Beitar gradually found its rhythm and began creating chances of its own.
Yarden Shua supplied a superb through ball to Johnbosco Kalu, whose off-balance effort struck the woodwork. Boris Enow also missed a promising opportunity as the teams went into halftime scoreless.
The chances continued after the break, with Shua, Tomer Yosefi and Omer Atzily all threatening for Beitar. Atzily missed a clear chance in the 73rd minute, sending a point-blank effort over the crossbar.
Maccabi also had chances, but the defining moment came when Peretz appeared to have an open goal. With Beitar goalkeeper Miguel Silva caught well off his line, Brayan Carabali recovered in time to clear Peretz’s effort off the goal line with a remarkable kick save.
Neither side could find a breakthrough, so the teams settled for a point in a match that delivered plenty of excitement but no goals.
Ten-man Hapoel Tel Aviv battles to dramatic victory over Ironi Tiberias
Hapoel Tel Aviv, meanwhile, earned a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Ironi Tiberias despite playing almost the entire match with 10 men.
Wearing pink shirts to mark Breast Cancer Month, the Reds suffered an early setback when Andrian Kraev was sent off in the third minute for stomping on David Keltjens’ leg.
Hapoel continued to push forward despite the numerical disadvantage, although the teams went into halftime scoreless after a potential penalty appeal involving Chico was rejected following a VAR review.
The match took another turn in the 57th minute when Emmanuel Boateng and Ziv Morgan collided heads, leaving Boateng requiring a stretcher to leave the pitch with an injury above his left eye.
Hapoel finally found the breakthrough with 10 minutes remaining. Marcus Coco surged into the penalty area and was brought down by goalkeeper Ido Sharon, earning a spot kick that Omri Altman converted to secure the victory.
“We knew after the red card that the game would be very difficult and that we would have to give extra, and everyone did that,” Hapoel coach Elyaniv Barda said. “We gained a lot from this, especially in terms of the players’ mentality. Even with 10 men, we believed we could win.”
Altman dedicated the victory to Kraev, saying the team wanted to help lift his spirits after the early dismissal. Tiberias coach Alon Ziv expressed frustration that his team failed to exploit its numerical advantage, while Sharon questioned the penalty decision.
Maccabi Haifa stages comeback victory over Maccabi Petah Tikva
Maccabi Haifa also rallied from behind, scoring twice from corner kicks to defeat Maccabi Petah Tikva 2-1.
Petah Tikva took an early lead through Eyal Einbrom’s finish from inside the box, but Eitan Azoulay and Noam Sztejfman headed home in the second half to turn the match around.
Haifa coach Barak Bachar praised his team’s resilience after coming back to win for the third straight game.
“It wasn’t a great performance; there was a little luck involved, and we came under pressure in the final minutes,” Bachar said. “It was a difficult game against a team that sat deep, on a challenging pitch, and I’m happy we secured an important win in a tough match.”
Petah Tikva coach Ziv Arie was disappointed that his team’s work was undone by set pieces, while Sztejfman described scoring the winner as a dream come true.
Hapoel Beersheba produced another late turnaround, defeating Hapoel Jerusalem 2-1 through Igor Zlatanovic’s brace.
Jerusalem took the lead when Vitalie Damascan went coast to coast before beating goalkeeper Ofir Marciano. Be’er Sheva responded in the 74th minute when Zlatanovic pounced on a rebound from Javon East.
Ten minutes later, East was brought down in the penalty area, earning a spot kick and a red card for Jerusalem’s Ofek Nadir. Zlatanovic converted the penalty to complete the comeback and secure all three points.
Beersheba coach Ran Kozuk emphasized the importance of his team’s determination, particularly late in the match, while Jerusalem coach Lior Zada acknowledged the challenge of defending against the combination of East and Zlatanovic.
Maccabi Netanya claimed a narrow 1-0 win over Ironi Kiryat Shmona after Matheus Davo converted a second-half penalty. The spot kick was awarded following a Niv Gabbay handball in the box.
Netanya coach Roni Levy said his team had created several clear-cut chances early but needed determination to secure the result. Kiryat Shmona coach Shai Barda lamented his side’s missed opportunities and said the team needed to find a way to reverse its difficult run.
Hapoel Ramat Gan capitalizes on red card to defeat Hapoel Haifa 2-0
Hapoel Ramat Gan defeated Hapoel Haifa 2-0 after a second-half red card changed the contest. Haifa was reduced to 10 men in the 57th minute when Cheikh Keita was dismissed for a reckless foul. Ramat Gan capitalized almost immediately, with David Asanka scoring his first league goal two minutes later. Luan added the second in the 69th minute.
Ramat Gan coach Messay Dego praised his players for responding well after a previous defeat, while Haifa coach Haim Silvas said his team had been unable to find solutions after going a man down.
Bnei Sakhnin rounded out the round with a 2-0 victory over Hapoel Petah Tikva. Ahmed Salman scored in the first half before Mathew Cudjoe added another after the break.
Sakhnin coach Yossi Abukasis credited the team’s improvement to reinforcements, a more settled lineup and growing confidence. Petah Tikva coach Omer Peretz said his team had controlled much of the contest statistically but failed to make its opportunities count.
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