Hapoel Beersheba blasted Ironi Tiberias 4-0 in Israel Premier League action as Amir Ganah scored a brace to help the Southern Reds take the win and the three points on the day that hostage Iair Horn, one of the club’s biggest supporters, returned home.
Kings Kangwa gave Ron Kozuk’s squad a quick 1-0 lead with a 3rd-minute goal, while Amir Ganah latched onto a Helder Lopes ball to make it 2-0 at the break. Dan Bitton assisted on Ganah’s second goal of the game in the 48th minute, and the aforementioned Bitton scored ten minutes later to wrap up the match.
Beersheba’s head coach spoke emotionally about Horn’s release and what it meant to the club. “Iair, this victory is for you! Enjoy it, get stronger, and God willing, we will see you here with us,” exclaimed Kozuk. “I hope that, God willing, we will see his brother Eitan and all of the hostages return home this coming week.
These things are more important than football; it is our moral obligation to help bring them home, and with God’s help, it will happen soon. In the locker room prior to the game, the feeling was chilling; they all saw it live on TV. It is a million times more important than football.
The most important thing is that he is home; we wish him well and that we will see him here with us and his brother Eitan here as soon as possible.”
Tiberias coach Eliran Hodeida shared his thoughts as well.
“Before the game, there was a very moving ceremony; there was not a person who was in the stadium and was not moved.”
Hapoel Haifa clipped Beitar Jerusalem 3-2 in an entertaining game as Dor Hugi’s brace helped the Carmel Reds take the three points.
Roni Levy’s team quickly jumped out to a 3-0 lead as Theimoko Diarra opened the scoring in the 14th minute, while a quarter-hour later, he sent a tremendous through ball to assist on Hugi’s first goal of the game.
Hugi then added a marker from the penalty spot to send the hosts into the break holding a 3-0 lead. However, Patrick Twumasi and an Omer Atzily penalty less than 15 minutes into the second half by Beitar cut the lead to 3-2, but that would be as close as the visitors would get.
“It’s not over until it’s over, certainly against Beitar, who as a club love such drama,” Haifa bench boss Roni Levy said. “They are a very high-quality team, and when you concede a goal, it can go in a dangerous direction, but it was a good test for my players to hang on to the tight win.”
Maccabi Haifa and Hapoel Jerusalem drew 3-3 as Eylon Almog scored a brace for the Reds and Lior Refaelov did the same for the Greens at a raucous Sammy Ofer Stadium.
Almog gave the visitors a shock 1-0 lead less than two minutes into the game off a corner kick, while the striker gave his side a 2-0 advantage twenty minutes later thanks to a Don Cedric ball.
Dia Saba pulled a goal back early in the second half thanks to a helper by Dean David, while in the 63rd minute, Ali Muhamed assisted on Refaelov’s first goal to knot the game up at 2-2. Ibeh Ransom then found the go-ahead goal late in the game for Ziv Arie’s team, but Refaelov’s second goal of the game in the 89th minute tied it all up at 3-3 to split the points.
“I thought it was possible to win or lose this game,” Arie said following the game. “I knew it would be difficult for us in the second half, and there were a few minutes where we were very naive. Ultimately, the guys played well, and I have no complaints.”
“This game reflects our season,” Haifa coach Barak Bachar said. “We were very soft, very unprepared from the first minute, and we’re going into a slump that we’ve never had before.”
Maccabi Tel Aviv secured a solid victory
Maccabi Tel Aviv outclassed Bnei Sakhnin 3-1 as Weslley Patati scored a brace to help the 10-man yellow-and-blue secure the win.
Idan Machmias was issued a red card for a reckless tackle in the 42nd minute, leaving the hosts with one man down. Nevertheless, Weslley Patati skipped over the Sakhnin defenders and slotted home the ball to give Maccabi a 1-0 lead in the 61st minute.
However, the visitors silenced a raucous Bloomfield Stadium 20 minutes later, thanks to a short corner set-piece that Abdalla Halaihal scored on to even the score at 1-1.
But just minutes later, Gaby Kanichowsky and Roy Revivo teamed up to send a cross to Patati, who easily scored to restore Maccabi’s lead, while Dor Turgeman added an insurance marker in the 86th minute to wrap up the win.
“Congratulations to the players; they were amazing,” Maccabi coach Zarko Lazetic began. “A lot of credit also goes to the fans who supported us, and we felt their good energy. We took another step forward and played very well from the first moment of the game, even after we got the red card. We scored two goals after we pressed and with one less player. This is our way, and this is how we want to play.”
Ironi Kiryat Shmona blanked Hapoel Hadera 2-0 as the northerners took the win and the three points.
After a goalless first half, Hadera captain Menashe Zalka was sent off with a second yellow card in the 78th minute. Just five minutes later, Lidor Cohen found the back of the net for Kiryat Shmona, while Iyad Habshi slotted home an injury-time penalty to close out the victory.
Ashdod SC crushed Maccabi Bnei Reineh 4-1 as Muhammed Knaan scored a brace and added a pair of assists in the blowout win.
Knaan opened the scoring in the 18th minute as he slotted home an Adir Levi cross, while Roi Levi’s smart pass to Knaan 20 minutes later doubled the advantage to 2-0.
Ori Azo scored right before the break, and Noam Muche netted just minutes into the second half, thanks to two Knaan assists, before Saar Fadida broke up the clean sheet in the 64th minute. However, the lone goal by Reineh was too little, too late, as the port city side wrapped up the win.
Maccabi Netanya edged Maccabi Petah Tikva 1-0, thanks to Igor Zlatanovich’s first-half goal, giving the diamond city squad the win.
“The truth is that something good and positive is happening to us,” Netanya coach Yossi Abukasis said. “It took a little time to get to know the team at first, but as we moved along, we changed the formation, and now it fits perfectly. It helped the players to be better, and I’m glad they’re doing it exceptionally well; they deserve credit.”