After a long wait, the Israeli State Cup reached its final stages with the semifinals.
The first semifinal was played between Beitar Jerusalem and Maccabi Bnei Reineh at Bloomfield Stadium in Tel Aviv.
Beitar Jerusalem reached this stage after a lengthy saga. Their quarter-final match against Bnei Sakhnin was initially canceled. The FA disciplinary board later reversed this decision, and only last week was the game played, with Beitar winning 3-0. Beitar Jerusalem is enjoying a successful season, currently sitting in 4th place in the league and aiming for a Conference League spot. Now they seek to add another great achievement by winning the cup, as they did two years ago.
Their opponent, Maccabi Bnei Reineh, represents one of the most interesting stories in recent years. Founded in 2016, it took them just six years to earn promotion to the top tier for the first time. Reineh is a small town of 17,000 people, but they received massive support from fans of other Israeli-Arab clubs for this match.
FIRST HALF
For long periods of the first half, the match wasn't particularly impressive. Both sides struggled to create real chances. The few shots during this stage came from Beitar's side, as Reineh preferred to adopt a more defensive style.
In the 44th minute, Beitar scored the first goal. Yarden Shua delivered an excellent corner from the left. Reineh's defense poorly marked Omer Atzili, who scored with ease. Atzili was Beitar's key signing in the January transfer window, acquired after a close race with Maccabi Haifa.
SECOND HALF
Beitar and Atzili didn't wait long to score again. Just three minutes after the second-half kickoff, Beitar launched a quick attack. Myron George carried the ball into the box before passing it to Atzili, who was clear to shoot and easily struck his second goal of the night.
In the 60th minute, George and Atzili swapped roles. George made a run and found Atzili on the right wing. Atzili took the ball into the box and, instead of shooting, decided to pass it back to George. The Costa Rican international headed the ball into the net, making it 3-0.
Two minutes later, Beitar's victory was secured. Reineh's defensive line completely collapsed as Yarden Shua ran unopposed into the box. Shua shot and scored his third cup goal of the season.
From then on, Beitar simply had to enjoy the match. In the 72nd minute, Reineh's defense was disorganized again and failed to clear the ball from the box. Beitar players quickly exchanged passes until Adi Yona scored, extending the lead to 5-0.
A late goal in the 89th minute by Leroy Mondzenga did little to console Reineh. Beitar Jerusalem enjoyed a magnificent evening with a 5-1 victory and secured their place in the Israeli Cup final in late May. Their opponents will be decided on April 22 in the match between Hapoel Beer Sheva and Hapoel Tel Aviv.
Omer Atzili's brace leads a dominant performance as Beitar secures a spot in May's championship match, continuing their impressive season.