Maccabi Tel Aviv took a huge first step toward securing a place in the Europa League’s league phase while the Israeli soccer league opened up play for the 2025/26 campaign.
In continental play, Maccabi Tel Aviv downed Dynamo Kyiv 3-1 as captain Dor Peretz scored a brace to get the yellow-and-blue off to a good start in the first leg of UEFA Europa League Playoff Round action in a game that was played as a home game in Backa Topola, Serbia due to the security situation in Israel.
In driving rain on the Serbian pitch, Peretz opened the scoring with a fabulous strike as he took a shifty feed from Sagiv Yehezkel just to the left of the net and roofed the ball past the helpless Kyiv ’keeper for a 1-0 lead in the 11th minute. However, 20 minutes later Nazar Voloshyn drew the Ukrainian side even by scoring from inside the box as the sides headed into halftime knotted up at 1-1.
As the second half began, Kostiantyn Vivcharenko went into Yehezkel with his studs up and was shown a straight red card after confirmation from the VAR system, leaving Kyiv with only 10 men for the final 40 minutes of the game.
Coach Zarko Lazetic’s squad took full advantage of the extra man as Yehezkel finished off a perfect passing play from Osher Davida and newcomer Kristijan Belic to give Maccabi a 2-1 lead in the 58th minute. Soon thereafter, Peretz scored his second marker of the match off a Roy Revivo assist as the yellow-and-blue will head into the return leg in Lublin, Poland, with a two-goal advantage.
“This was a good match from us and a good performance from beginning to the end,” Lazetic said following the game. “We played really, really well on defense with a high press, and it was easier to control the match with the ball. Congrats to the players, this was just the first half and now we have to forget this, analyze what we did, and take the lessons for the next game.”
Lazetic’s Kyiv counterpart Oleksandr Shovkovskyi was less than happy after the contest. “Was the red card fair? I can think it’s fair or unfair, but it happened,” Oleksandr Shovkovskyi began. “Unfortunately, this is not the first time we’ve received a red card out of nowhere. While we’re playing for the ball, there’s a mistake and then there’s a foul, which the referees interpret as a red card. We can make a game plan, a strategy, prepare something and in the end we play for almost 40 minutes without a player.”
Belic, who was impressive in his Maccabi Tel Aviv European debut, also reflected on the game.“If someone would have given me this result before the game, I think I would have taken it. Obviously, with how the game went with the red card we thought we could score more, but now we have one more game and we will go there to win.
“We should feel comfortable going there,” Belic continued. “Believe in ourselves and not be intimidated. We have to go there and win the game and not think this is over and go easy and wait for something to happen. We have to take initiative and kill the game in the first half.”
Over in Israel Premier League action, Hapoel Tel Aviv defeated Ironi Kiryat Shmona 2-1 as the Reds made a triumphant comeback to the top tier at Bloomfield Stadium.
After a goalless first half, Muhammed Abu Romi stunned the hosts to give Kiryat Shmona a 1-0 lead in the 48th minute. However, less than 10 minutes later what seemed to be a phantom foul in the box handed the Reds a spot kick from 11 meters that starlet Daniel Dappa slotted home to draw the hosts even at 1-1.
Stav Turiel, who came off the bench in the 60th minute, was immediately active hunting for a go-ahead goal, which he found when he scored a tremendous marker to give Elyaniv Barda’s side the lead and the win.
“Kiryat Shmona was better than us in the first half,” Hapoel Tel Aviv coach Elyaniv Barda said. “But we started playing better in the second half. We saw what type of game was waiting for us in the top league and we have plenty of work to do going forward. The players could feel the fans as they cheered them on and they deserved the win.”
Kiryat Shmona saw things a bit differently.
Tempers flared over debated penalty calls
“There was no penalty,” a livid Kiryat Shmona coach Shay Barda began. “I watched it on replay numerous times. We had great momentum in this game and I am not a person who complains about these things, but there was pressure on the officials with so many people in the stands. If this call was a penalty, then there should have been 10 penalties called in this game.”
Meanwhile, Maccabi Haifa crushed Maccabi Bnei Reineh 4-0 as a quartet of different goal scorers found the back of the net at Sammy Ofer Stadium.
The Greens had the upper hand from the get-go and took the lead in the 28th minute when Djorde Jovanovic headed home an Eitan Azulay free kick as the hosts went into the break nursing a 1-0 advantage.
Azulay was yanked down in the box early in the second half as Dolev Haziza scored the ensuing penalty to double the Haifa advantage, while the same Azulay gave Trivante Stewart a perfect pass to add yet another goal for a 3-0 lead in the 69th minute. Less than 10 minutes later, Diego Flores’s team added a fourth marker when Matias Nahuel scored to take the three points in the opening match of the season.
“I feel amazing and from the first minute we dominated the match,” Haifa bench boss Diego Flores said. “It was very important for us to score early in the second half and it was great from there on in. We may have played Bnei Reineh last week in the Toto Cup but the lineup we had in this win was primarily players who had played in our European campaign, which we did not do in the last game.”
“I was very upset with the players and we gave Haifa way too much credit,” Bnei Reineh coach Slobodan Drapic said. “We saw that we didn’t take advantage of Haifa being under pressure in the first half, which was too bad as we did not do a good job whatsoever in the second half.”
Ashdod SC slipped by Hapoel Jerusalem 2-1 thanks to a pair of second-half goals to take the victory and pocket three points.
Andrew Idoko gave the capital city Reds a 1-0 lead that they took into the break, but Eugene Ansah and Ilay Tamam scored to snatch the win and the three points.
“I don’t know how we lost,” Hapoel Jerusalem coach Ziv Arie began. “We felt like we really wanted it, but we were too stressed. We were soft at the beginning, but we actually took the lead first. We were quiet with the ball afterward and I don’t know how to analyze the goals we conceded. We’re not Maccabi Haifa or Tel Aviv. Everyone will have to raise the bar and help.”
Ashdod coach Haim Silvas was thrilled with the result. “In the second half we took control, played as we had to and deservedly won,” Silvas said. “It was precisely after the Toto Cup period that we wanted to improve. Everyone here is working day and night to prepare the team in the best possible way. I’m glad we showed character and now we can head into next week.”
Also, Ironi Tiberias blanked Hapoel Haifa 1-0 as Peter Michael’s second-half goal handed the team by the Kinneret the three points and the win.