Maccabi Haifa defeated Hapoel Hadera 3-1 this week in Israel Premier League action thanks to a trio of second-half goals to take the win and the points.
Hadera took a shock lead in the 33rd minute via captain Menashe Zalka, who scored on the host’s first chance on goal to go into the halftime break holding a 1-0 lead. However, Dia Saba headed home a Dolev Haziza cross to draw the Greens even early in the second half, while Abdoulaye Seck nodded in the game-winner off a Saba corner kick in the 85th minute to grab a 2-1 lead. Dean David polished off the victory deep into stoppage time to give Haifa the points.
Amir Nussbaum, Haifa’s assistant coach, who was on the sidelines due to Barak Bachar’s ban, spoke about the win.
“Three points are the most important thing, plus we can take a lot of character out of this game. Coming back from a deficit in the last minutes of the game in what was such a frustrating matchup isn’t easy. We are very proud of our players.”
Hapoel Hadera coach Nimrod Kostika also reflected on the clash. “Overall, we had a pretty good game, especially the first half. In the second half, we went backward a bit, and at the end of the day, we conceded a goal from a corner and then another goal at the end of the game. This game was against one of the best teams in the country, and we played well, so if we continue like this when we play the teams that are at our level, we can stay in the league.”
Other major games
Meanwhile, Maccabi Tel Aviv and Beitar Jerusalem drew 1-1 to split the points in an entertaining affair at Bloomfield Stadium.
After a goalless first half, the yellow-and-black grabbed a 1-0 lead thanks to Ismaili Soro’s 72nd-minute goal, but Idan Nachmias found the equalizer less than 10 minutes later. Beitar had a chance to win the game via a Yarden Shua penalty, but Maccabi ’keeper Simon Sluga made the alert save to preserve the draw.
“It was a good game from both teams,” Maccabi head coach Marko Lazetic began. “We did everything to win; we had a lot of chances. Obviously, you could say we should be happy because we saved the penalty at the end, but I’m disappointed, and I think we deserved to win. Beitar played well, they were fresher, but I’m happy overall with the performance, less so with the result and the number of our misses.”
“When you miss a penalty in the 90th minute, you’re obviously disappointed,” Beitar bench boss Barak Itzhaki said. “It was a pretty even game, maybe with a slight advantage for Maccabi Tel Aviv. We managed to create good chances and really inspired the players to play good football and try to close out the game.”
Up north, Maccabi Bnei Reineh slipped by Hapoel Beersheba 1-0 thanks to a late Muhammed Shaker goal to surprise the table leader up in the Galilee.
Following a goalless first half, Helder Lopes had a chance to give the Southern Reds a lead from the penalty spot, but his kick hit the bar, which eventually allowed the hosts to take the win via Shaker’s strike in the 78th minute.
Bnei Reineh head coach Sharon Mimer spoke about the game but began with the hostages beginning to come back home.
“I’m very happy, first of all, thanks to the return of the hostages, and we hope that more will return home soon. As for the game itself, we are a team that has picked up wins over Beitar Jerusalem, Maccabi Tel Aviv, and Hapoel Beersheba over the past three weeks, and that is no coincidence. There are some of the best players that I have coached here. We are fully convinced that we can play good games like this on any pitch and against any team, and that’s why we’re enjoying the victory.”
Also, Maccabi Petah Tikva and Ashdod played to an entertaining 2-2 draw in a game that was a tale of two halves after Mohammed Knaan was sent off as the match hit halftime, with each side earning a point for their efforts.
Knaan opened the scoring for the port city squad in the 35th minute, while youngster Ori Azo doubled the advantage eight minutes later for a 2-0 lead.
However, Knaan was handed a straight red card due to a reckless tackle that left Ashdod with just 10 men for the entire second half. Mohammed Hindi quickly cut the lead early in the second half, and Ido Cohen found the equalizer in the 65th minute as the match ended in a draw with each squad taking home a point.
“I’m a little disappointed,” Ashdod bench boss Klemi Saban began. “We scored to give us a 2-0 lead in what was an excellent first half with terrific football and good quality play from everyone. But the red card was unfortunate, and in the second half, we went backward as Petach Tikva scored the first goal quite quickly, and when they added the second goal, it was important for us to at least finish with a draw.”
“I leave this game with mixed feelings,” Petah Tikva coach Tamir Luzon said. “On one hand, it’s a loss of points because after we tied up the game, there were many more opportunities to take the lead. But on the other hand, we have to remember that in the first half, we really weren’t good and allowed Ashdod to easily score. I told the guys at halftime that we need to play like we know how, to emphasize the tactical parts of our attack, and to be close together on defense.”
In the capital city, Hapoel Jerusalem walloped Ironi Tiberias 4-0 to the delight of the home fans as the visitors lost Eliyahu Belilti to a red card early in the first half, and the Reds took the three points and the win in fine fashion.
Belilti was sent off in the 22nd minute with his second yellow card, which opened up the floodgates soon thereafter as Guy Badash gave Ziv Arie’s squad a 1-0 lead in the 30th minute thanks to a scorcher from outside the box. Yanai Distelfeld doubled the advantage in the 48th minute, while Matan Hozez added yet another marker 10 minutes later, and Eylon Almog put the cherry on top of the win with a penalty.
“We showed a little bit of our potential that has existed all year long in this game,” Arie said following the win. “We will remain humble, and we are already looking towards Netanya with the aim of creating continuity in our ability and results.”
Maccabi Netanya defeated Hapoel Haifa 3-1 as Igor Zlatanovic scored a brace to help the diamond city side take the win.
Maor Levi opened the scoring for Netanya from inside the box, while Zlatanovic doubled the advantage by the 22nd minute. Theimoko Diarra pulled a goal back ahead of the break, but Zlatanovic’s second marker of the game sealed the win.
“This was a very, very important victory in the standings,” Netanya head coach Yossi Abukasis began. “Following the results in the other games, we knew that only a win would bring us back into the top six, and I’m happy that the players did it in a big way. This was an exceptional game. I’m proud of the players and the team, and we are making progress and continuing on.”
Finally, Ironi Kiryat Shmona blanked Bnei Sakhnin 1-0 as Sekou Bangoura’s 41st-minute goal gave the northerners the points.