Beitar Jerusalem

There is no reason to think that the yellow-and-black can’t do the unthinkable and take home the championship for the first time in close to two decades.

Navot Ratner’s header gave Barak Bachar’s side a 1-0 lead in the 15th minute, while former Beitar forward Silva Kani doubled the advantage in the 60th minute.

The rough-and-tumble win kept the yellow-and-black in first place by a point over Hapoel Beersheba, while Hapoel fell for the first time this season at Bloomfield Stadium.

Jerusalem maintains a slim one-point lead over Hapoel Beersheba in the title race, as Yellow-and-blue is fading.

As each day goes by, it becomes a day closer to the end of the season and a chance to take home the elusive title, one that Beitar Jerusalem has not won since the 2007/08 season.

While the game ended in a 2-2 draw, the match had many ups and downs, creating excitement galore for fans of Hapoel Beersheba and Beitar Jerusalem.

There are no ifs, ands, or buts. The yellow-and-black is two points off the top of the table, where Hapoel Beersheba currently resides, and it will need to beat the best in order to be the best.

Hapoel coach Ziv Arie lamented the slow start but noted his side created chances, while goalkeeper Nadav Zamir admitted the early goal made the match difficult.

As the Israel Soccer League resumed play across the country this week, the atmosphere was eerie. It evoked the empty-stadium days of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

Gadrani, who joined the club at the end of September from Kairat Almaty, has been one of the standouts as the Georgian national team defender provides a cool, calm, and collected presence.