Beitar Jerusalem slipped by Maccabi Bnei Reineh 1-0 in Israel Premier League action over the weekend as Timoti Muzie’s first-half stunner helped the yellow-and-black to the three points at Teddy Stadium.
With the win, coupled with Hapoel Beersheba’s goalless draw with Maccabi Haifa, Beitar finds itself tied atop the table, level on 42 points with the Southern Reds, who hold the goal-differential advantage, by five (27 to 22).
Over the course of the opening 30 minutes at Teddy, both sides had chances, but Muzie’s goal set things in motion for the hosts, which was followed up by a red card to Owusu Kwabena early on in the second half that reduced the visitors to 10 men. Despite the extra man, Barak Itzhaki’s squad had a tough time adding an insurance goal, while at the other end Ze Turbo went in all alone on ’keeper Yehonatan Ozer with a chance to tie the match up, but his shot went just wide left of the goal as Beitar closed out the win.
Jerusalem coach Barak Itzhaki looked back at the victory.
“The first half-hour wasn’t the way we wanted to open up the game, but we then got into our rhythm. But we also weren’t able to score, although we had chances. This game should have been decided earlier, and it shouldn’t have come down to the ball just missing our goal.”
Meanwhile, Hapoel Beersheba and Maccabi Haifa played to a goalless draw as both keepers, the Greens’ Georgiy Yermakov and the Southern Reds' Niv Eliasi, were both spectacular in keeping the ball out of their respective nets as the two sides split the points.
Haifa coach Barak Bachar wrapped up the draw.
“I enjoyed watching this game as we saw two teams that wanted to win. Towards the end, we were tired and wanted the match to come to an end. With many players not being available and everything that comes with it, a draw is okay, but during the match itself, I felt that we could win.”
Disappointing result sometimes a reality in soccer
Beersheba coach Ron Kozuk also reflected on the result.
“Of course, we wanted to win the game. We had enough chances to win, so this is a disappointing result, but that’s part of football, and no one thought we would win it all the way through.”
Elsewhere, Maccabi Tel Aviv slipped by Bnei Sakhnin 1-0 as Ido Shachar headed home the lone goal off of a Roy Revivo pinpoint cross into the box as the yellow-and-blue collected all the points.
“This was a good performance, an important win and an important step forward,” Maccabi Tel Aviv coach Zarko Lazetic said. “We are building an identity. There are mistakes, but that’s part of football.”
Up by the Carmel Mountain, Hapoel Haifa and Hapoel Tel Aviv played to an entertaining 3-3 draw that saw the visitors come back from a two-goal deficit to earn a point for their efforts.
Roy Korine sent a screamer into the back of the Haifa goal to give Hapoel Tel Aviv the lead in the 20th minute, but 10 minutes later, Javon East scored a penalty, and Liran Sardel found the back of the goal as the hosts snatched a 2-1 advantage.
Just as the second half began, Ofek Biton headed home a Rotem Hatuel cross to give Gal Arel’s team a 3-1 lead, but less than a quarter-hour later, Ziv Morgan nodded in a Korine ball to cut the gap to a single goal. Arel was issued a red card and sent to the stands in the 71st minute, while 10 minutes later, a Tel Aviv corner kick saw the ball carom off of Gorge Diva and into his own goal to pull Elyaniv Barda’s squad even as the two sides split the points.
“I’m happy that the first half started really well, we went up 1-0,” Hapoel Tel Aviv bench boss Elyaniv Barda said. “We could have also made it 2-0, but out of nowhere we conceded a penalty, and then due to a lack of concentration it was 2-1 for Haifa. That was shocking, and we couldn’t control the game.... Thankfully, we were able to get back into the game and record a result.”
“I protested a foul and was sent off, but I prefer not to talk about the refereeing,” Hapoel Haifa coach Gal Arel began. “From the first minute every 50-50 foul was called in their favor. ”
Hapoel Petah Tikva downed Ironi Tiberias 4-1 as Mark Koszta scored a brace in a game that saw all of the goals scored in the first half of play.
Cape Verdean forward Cle scored in the second minute of play to give Petah Tikva a quick 1-0 lead and then doubled the advantage a quarter-hour later as Roee David latched onto an Orel Dagani through-ball. Dagani again was at the center of attention when he hit the crossbar, and Koszta headed home the third goal while Tiberias cut the lead to 3-1 thanks to Yonatan Tepper’s shot from 20 meters out. However, a minute later ,Koszta completed his brace as the visitors polished off the 4-1 win.
“It’s fun that we scored like that,” Hapoel Petah Tikva coach Omer Peretz began. “Our attack has been very creative since the start of the season, and anyone who has watched us knows that from the first round we were playing like this, but not everything went in. Now the goals are going in.”
Maccabi Netanya and Hapoel Jerusalem played to a 1-1 draw as Wilson Harris was at the focus of both goals. The American scored the go-ahead marker for the diamond city side in the 93rd minute while he committed a foul in the box that allowed Guy Badash to score from the penalty spot in the 102nd minute of play to split the points.
“I expected more, I expected a win,” Netanya coach Yossi Abuksis said. “We had a huge amount of chances in the first half and in the second half we missed a penalty. I decided Tavares would take it and it was just bad luck.”
Jerusalem coach Ziv Arie talked about the draw.
“How do you sum up the madness? Football, there’s nothing much else to say. We didn’t come to play football, this is our season in a nutshell, but at least the game ended with us earning a point.”
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