Late Monday night at Bloomfield Stadium, Hapoel Tel Aviv slipped by Beitar Jerusalem 3-2 as Omri Altman’s free-kick stunner at the final whistle gave the Reds the three points and a thrilling win.
After a slow start by both teams, Hapoel Tel Aviv picked up the pace and was awarded a penalty after Grigori Morozov yanked captain Fernando Mayembo’s jersey. Stav Tureil stepped up and slotted home the spot kick for a 1-0 lead in the 26th minute.
It looked as if the Reds had added a second marker when Chico headed home a corner kick, but the goal was canceled due to a foul from Beitar’s keeper Miguel Silva.
With new life, the yellow-and-black pushed forward and was rewarded for its efforts as Dor Micha nodded in Omer Atzily’s free kick to draw the visitors even at 1-1 just as the game hit halftime.
Beitar continued to control the pace of play and finally broke through to take the lead when Gil Cohen was able to turn in the box and put the ball past ’keeper Asaf Tzur for a 2-1 Jerusalem lead in the 78th minute.
However, the Reds made a double substitution to freshen up their attack. They hit the woodwork a pair of times and then finally broke through when Tureil lifted a perfect ball to Andrian Kraev. Kraev then hammered the ball with his head past a helpless Silva to draw even at 2-2 in the 90th minute.
Beitar loses chance to retake lead
Beitar had a chance to retake the lead deep into second-half injury time on Atzili’s free kick, but his ball grazed the bar and went out, allowing Hapoel one final opportunity.
Altman, who came on as a late substitute and had not been in the squad for the first two games, latched onto the ball as he raced toward the Beitar goal and was tripped up just outside the box by Gil Cohen, who was issued a straight red card. That set up a free kick right at the top of the area.
Altman took a few steps back, and as other Reds players ran out of the way and the Beitar defensive wall blocked Silva’s view, the veteran blasted a perfectly placed ball into the net. The goal sent the fans and Hapoel players into ecstasy as they secured victory over their rivals in an instant classic.
“There was character here,” Hapoel Tel Aviv coach Elyaniv Barda said. “That’s been the case from the start of the season. We were able to win the game off the set-piece, but we really put on a show in the second half, where we created so many chances and hit the woodwork twice."
"I wanted to make an offensive substitution, and just beforehand we ended up giving up a goal, but we kept pushing forward and we showed that we can control the game at Bloomfield and take a big victory.”
A dejected Beitar Jerusalem bench boss, Barak Itzhaki, also spoke about the game. “I’m disappointed," he said. "It wasn’t a great game from us, and we did take the lead, but we didn’t know how to keep it, as we were naive."
"Hapoel came back, and we needed to play our style of game, but we allowed them to have too many chances. We hit the bar, and then we ended up with a foul and a red card off a mistake, and then we gave up a brutally painful goal.”
Meanwhile, in the capital city, Hapoel Beersheba overwhelmed Hapoel Jerusalem 5-1 as Dan Biton recorded the first hat-trick of his career.
Biton also scored in his eighth straight game, leading the Southern Reds to the win. He gave the visitors an early 1-0 lead from inside the box, while Guy Mizrachi doubled the advantage as he crossed the ball into the area. However, he saw his attempt end up in the back of the goal, giving them a 2-0 lead at the break.
Biton added his second goal of the game as he blasted the ball into the upper portion of the net off a Kings Kangwa assist. Still, Guy Badash’s individual effort off the left flank beat former national team keeper Ofir Marciano, cutting the Beersheba lead to 3-1.
Biton completed his hat-trick via the penalty spot after his free-kick glanced off Ohad Almagor’s hand in the area, and an own-goal by Jerusalem keeper Nadav Zamir put the finishing touches on a 5-1 Southern Reds’ victory.
“We came into the game really well, but our on-field play still needs to improve,” Hapoel Beersheba coach Ron Kozuk began. “I was happy with how we created some of our chances and we did score five goals, so that was very good for us.
"I’m very content with the guys and how they played. I for sure have a ’keeper that I can trust, and Ofir [Marciano], who is replacing the injured Niv Eliasi, knows what I think of him and of his quality. I’m really happy with the way he can come in and help out the team.”
“We’re just not good enough because of our lack of energy, and our injuries hurt us,” Hapoel Jerusalem Head Coach Ziv Arie said.
“That is why the result is what it is. We are working as best as we can, and I hope that we have the ability to pull out of this losing streak… I am always optimistic.”
In the Galilee, Maccabi Tel Aviv trounced Ironi Tiberias 4-1, as four different goal-scorers helped the yellow-and-blue reach a comeback victory.
Stanislav Bilenkyi opened the scoring to give the hosts the early lead, but Ido Shachar headed home a Sagiv Yehezkel cross in the 28th minute to draw Maccabi even at 1-1.
Yehezkel then scored from the penalty spot after a handball in the box for a 2-1 lead. Just before the break, the yellow-and-blue was awarded another penalty due to a reckless tackle by the keeper. Ion Nicolaescu missed, but the striker put in his own rebound for a 3-1 advantage at halftime.
Maccabi was handed yet another penalty that Dor Peretz converted to give Zarko Lazetic’s side the comfortable win.
“It’s never easy after an international break,” Maccabi’s Lazetic said. “We only had two days after everyone came back, so it was important to win, but I’m happy with how we played. We dominated the game from the start. We conceded after two minutes, but I felt confident during the game with how my players looked with and without the ball.
"Still, we can play much better,” he concluded.
Tiberias coach Eliran Hodeida commented, “We started the game well, scored a quick goal, and then conceded a goal that was too soft, and then three very soft penalties. I can take pride in these guys. They ran and tried, and there were periods when we were really good.”
Maccabi Haifa also defeated Ashdod SC 5-1, with the Greens scoring a trio of penalties to secure the win.
Travante Stewart headed home the opening goal in the eighth minute, but Ilay Tamam drew Haifa's side even 20 minutes later.
However, sloppy play from Ashdod resulted in both Matias Nahuel and Dolev Haziza scoring from the penalty spot while Abdulaye Seck nodded in the Greens’ fourth marker, just before Djorde Jovanovic scored yet another penalty to put the finishing touches on the victory.
“We controlled the game and created many chances along with scoring off set pieces,” Haifa bench boss Diego Flores said. “It was a good effort by everyone, and we have a very deep squad, which will allow us to play many guys. That also gives me a big headache – but a good one at that.”
Ashdod coach Haim Silvas also commented. “There’s not much to say," he said. “We conceded off-set pieces all season long, and we must get better as a team. We knew they would pressure us, and we tried to play our game, but we made mistakes, which is very frustrating.”
Meanwhile, Hapoel Haifa blanked Bnei Sakhnin 2-0 as a pair of second-half goals helped the Carmel Reds to the three points.
After a goalless first half that saw Sakhnin’s Glid Otanga sent off with his second yellow card, Haifa took full advantage of the extra man as Ofek Bitton smoked the ball into the goal from just outside the box in the 63rd minute.
Javon East tapped in the insurance marker 10 minutes later to secure the victory.
Hapoel Haifa coach Gal Arel spoke at the end of the game, commenting that "we came into a very difficult away game and we knew that Sakhnin would come with energy. After the red card, we were aware that they would go backwards, and, to my delight, players with quality came in as substitutes who made the difference. I was pleased with the second half. We created chances, and I’m very encouraged.”
Hapoel Petah Tikva defeated Maccabi Netanya 3-1 as the newly promoted side secured the victory over the struggling Diamond City side.
Idan Cohen helped set up both of the hosts’ first-half goals as he sent Shavit Mazal the perfect ball into the area that Maccabi Netanya easily slotted home for the opening marker of the game in the 22nd minute.
James Adenyi did the same a few minutes later to give Omer Peretz’s squad a 2-0 lead.
After a missed penalty by Netanya, Petah Tikva added its third goal of the game as Jocelin Ta Bi scorched a ball into the net, moments before Netanya broke up the clean sheet with an Oz Bilu strike in second-half injury time.
Hapoel Petah Tikva bench boss Omer Peretz was content with the victory, stating that "three points are the most important thing that we can get from the first home game in the league. We are used to a different pace from last season and we will have to get used to the pace in the top league because we fell off our feet towards the end of the game. But I can’t complain, the players did an excellent job.”
Maccabi Netanya’s Yossi Abukasis summed up the match from his side’s point of view.
“We have a lot of problems in our defensive game," he stated. "We make a lot of mistakes, and we are exposed. This is supposedly a defense that should have been stronger and better than last year, but we have lost confidence. I want to apologize to the fans who came to see us play, as this is not how we wanted to look.”
Ironi Kiryat Shmona defeated Maccabi Bnei Reineh 3-1 as Muhammed Abu Rami scored a first-half brace to snatch the win.
Saar Fadida took full advantage of Kiryat Shmona ’keeper Daniel Tenenbaum’s poor clearance as Bnei Reineh took a 1-0 lead in the sixth minute. However, Abu Rami headed Yair Mordechai’s ball home and then nodded in another from Bilal Shaheen. The hosts, playing at the Netanya Stadium, grabbed a 2-1 lead by break time.
Following a Junior Pius red card, Adrian Ugarriza scored from the penalty spot to wrap up the win.
Shai Barda, Kiryat Shmona’s head coach, spoke about the match.
“I feel good, and I think the thing that makes me happiest is that after we were down 1-0, we continued to play the same way. I think there is a mental step up here, and I am happy about that. I feel that we need to continue to play the same way, and that is what is important.”
Bnei Reineh bench boss Slobodan Drapic also talked about the game from his perspective.
“We are still building a squad and we are still missing two players, as the players who arrived here are not yet fit. We tried to take more from this game. Last week against Hapoel Tel Aviv, we conceded a goal in the 93rd minute, but our squad is still really unprepared to play.”