Hapoel Beersheba soars into first place

Maccabi Haifa gets back on track • Maccabi Tel Aviv tied with Hapoel Haifa • Kiryat Shmona beats Petah Tikva

By JOSHUA HALICKMAN DECEMBER 11, 2024 01:25 Updated: DECEMBER 11, 2024 01:27

DAN BITON (right) scored a pair of goals for Hapoel Beerseba in its dominant 4-1 home victory over Beitar Jerusalem at Turner Stadium. (photo credit: Hapoel Beersheba/Courtesy)

Hapoel Beersheba pounded visiting Beitar Jerusalem 4-1 in Israel Premier League action, not only taking the points and victory but also moving into sole possession of first place.

Kings Kangwa set the tone for the hosts just four minutes into the game with a stunning strike from 25 meters out. Dan Biton doubled the lead less than five minutes later with a shot that cleanly beat the Beitar ’keeper, giving Beersheba a quick 2-0 advantage.

Helder Lopes’s 13th-minute penalty was saved by Miguel Silva, but Yoni Stoyanov hammered home the rebound for a 3-0 lead. Biton added his second goal of the game in the 48th minute, while Mayron George scored a late consolation goal for Beitar, breaking up Niv Eliasi’s clean sheet.

“This was a great game for us,” Beersheba head coach Ron Kozuk began. “If someone had told me we’d be leading 3-0 after just 12 minutes, I would’ve thought they were crazy. Our style is to press high with intensity, and we used three central defenders to balance the back line. I’m happy it worked. I’m very satisfied with how things turned out.”

“A lot of things didn’t work, especially at the start of the game,” Beitar head coach Barak Itzhaki admitted. “When you start to get dizzy in Turner Stadium, it’s a problem. We tried to stick to our playing style, but it didn’t go well today. Ultimately, we’ll learn from this. I was wrong to press high with three quick players, trying to rely on transitions.”

HAPOEL BEERSHEBA (in red) got off to a slow start at home vs Ness Ziona, but managed to rally in the second half to earn a 1-1 Premier League draw. (credit: DANNY MARON)

Maccabi Haifa 

Meanwhile, Maccabi Haifa overwhelmed Ashdod SC 3-1 near the Port City, getting back on the winning track with three valuable points.

Dean David opened the scoring in the 9th minute, assisted by Dia Saba, who doubled the lead just before halftime. Iyad Khalaili scored his first goal with Haifa’s senior team to make it 3-0. Noam Muche pulled one back for Ashdod, but it was too little, too late.

“Obviously, this was an important game for us after the loss,” Haifa head coach Barak Bachar said. “We saw a team overcome adversity. We received criticism – rightly so – but this win was sweet.”

“There’s a feeling we missed an opportunity,” Ashdod assistant coach Klemi Saban noted. “We had good chances, but perhaps bad luck held us back. Our intent was to attack and play offensively.”

Maccabi Tel Aviv and Hapoel Haifa drew 1-1, splitting the points at Sammy Ofer Stadium.

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Weslley Pattai scored off a perfect Sagiv Yehezkel pass in the 24th minute to give Maccabi the lead. Raz Shlomo fouled Guy Melamed in the box, and Melamed converted the penalty in the 60th minute, earning Hapoel Haifa a draw.

“There are 23 more games; it’s only December,” Maccabi head coach Zarko Lazetic commented when asked if the dropped points hurt their title chances. “We didn’t play well on defense and lacked consistency. We need to show more calmness and confidence.”

“I’m proud,” Roni Levy said. “The team deserves compliments. We played under pressure but stuck to moving the ball, which kept us in the game. The fact we’re disappointed with a draw against Maccabi Tel Aviv says it all.”

Maccabi Petah Tikva

Also, Ironi Kiryat Shmona edged out Maccabi Petah Tikva 1-0 thanks to Alfredo Stephens, who scored the winning goal deep into second-half injury time.

The victory handed Shay Barda’s northerners all three points, while Petah Tikva head coach Dan Roman was dismissed following the defeat.

Maccabi Netanya mounted a late comeback to defeat Ironi Tiberias 3-2, earning Yossi Abukasis’s team the points.

“Football is unpredictable; preparation doesn’t always prevent mistakes,” Abukasis said. “We were behind despite controlling the first half, but our second-half performance paid off. We still have defensive issues to address.”

“The game slipped through our hands,” Tiberias coach Eliran Hodeida lamented. “We conceded twice in a few minutes, which was painful and disappointing. If we’d maintained focus, we wouldn’t have given up those goals.”

Franco Mazurek gave Tiberias a 1-0 lead in the 20th minute via a free kick, but 10 minutes later, Freddy Vargas equalized with a free kick of his own. Jordan Botaka restored Tiberias’s lead with a penalty just before halftime. In the 80th minute, Oz Bilu leveled the score for Netanya, and five minutes later, Vargas headed home the winner.

Hapoel Hadera defeated Maccabi Bnei Reineh 2-1, with Dan Einbinder scoring the decisive goal to break a 1-1 tie.

Hadera initially took the lead when Menashe Zalka’s corner found Mamadou Mbodj, who headed it in. Guy Hadida equalized for Reineh in the 59th minute, but Einbinder restored Hadera’s lead a minute later.

“This was a tough match,” winning coach Asaf Nimni stated. “The players showed discipline and hard work, which paid off.”

“This was not our best performance,” Reineh coach Sharon Mimer admitted. “The more determined team won, and while we sought solutions, it wasn’t enough.”

Finally, Hapoel Jerusalem narrowly defeated Bnei Sakhnin 1-0, with Andrew Idoko’s 39th-minute goal securing the win for the capital city Reds.

“I told the players this game was crucial for the season,” Jerusalem head coach Ziv Arie said. “More importantly, I wanted us to look like Hapoel Jerusalem, playing with passion and love for the game.”