The Israeli Premier League was close to an early finish, but in a few weeks, things are mixing up.
Maccabi Tel Aviv is in good shape since the managerial change and Patrick van Leeuwen's appointment. They are unbeaten for ten consecutive matches, and they know that missing a game could be crucial in the championship race. Their opponent, Bnei Sakhnin, is looking to run away from the relegation zone.
For 90 minutes, Bnei Sakhnin managed to play defensively. They barely tried to attack, while Maccabi Tel Aviv missed several opportunities to score. A decent corner was crossed to the box in the 95th minute, and Dor Peretz was in the right position to score. Maccabi Tel Aviv is familiar with scoring winning goals in the additional time, as it's the fourth time they are doing so in this season. They also equalled the all-time league record for scoring a winning goal in the additional time during a single season.
The leaders slip
After the final whistle in Maccabi Tel Aviv's match, it was Maccabi Haifa's turn to get back their lead. They played away against FC Ashdod, which is considered one of the season's black horse.
Unlike other teams that are usually using a defensive approach in such matches, FC Ashdod tried to look for the goal more than once. An early substitution of the Nikita Rukavytsya due to an injury even made then match balanced. Like Maccabi Tel Aviv, time was ticking, but the decisive goal wasn’t scored before the additional time. FC Ashdod shocked Maccabi Haifa in the 79th minute when Yaakov Berihon has found the net for the first this season.
FC Ashdod won 1-0, and the difference on the top of the ladder is just two points. Maccabi Haifa is under pressure, as they might finish this week in second place after a long time in the lead.
The wake of the south
A storm in the desert. There is no other way to describe Hapoel Be'er Sheva's last week. After their defeat against Maccabi Tel Aviv, the FA Disciplinary Board decided to suspend Josué for four matches as he allegedly spat on Avi Rikan. The caretaker manager, Elyaniv Barda, was sent off as well, and Maor Melikson became the manager for their match against Hapoel Kfar Saba.
The match was not different from the team's other league matches this season. They didn't impress but managed to make the single action that was worth the win. Marcelo Melli, one of two Argentine foreigners in the squad, didn't have great performances until now. In the 33rd minute, he scored his debut goal in Israel, which may bring him a bit of confidence.
After the game was over, Hapoel Be'er Sheva was again in the headlines with their new potential signings. Alona Barkat, the team's owner, has recently announced that she is fully dedicated to the club, after she made a threat of possible quit. This week's first signing was Hatem Abd Elhamed, who left the club in July 2019 to Celtic. The transfer window in Israel will be closed on Thursday, and there may be more transfer deals until then.
Thumbnail photo by Maccabi Tel Aviv official Facebook page.
