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Beitar Jerusalem delivered a stunning 3-1 victory over Maccabi Haifa on Monday night at Sammy Ofer Stadium, upsetting the league leaders in a dramatic and action-packed encounter.
The match, which had been largely uneventful during the first half, erupted into life just before the break.
In the dying seconds of first-half stoppage time, Beitar’s Yarden Shua sent a cross into the box intended for Mayron George, only for the ball to strike Haifa’s Ilay Feingold’s hand.
The referee awarded a penalty, and although Shua’s initial spot kick was saved by Haifa goalkeeper Sharif Kaiuf, the Beitar forward made no mistake on the rebound, putting the visitors ahead 1-0.
The drama didn’t end there as tensions boiled over in the locker rooms. Haifa’s Ali Muhammed received a yellow card for protesting the penalty decision, but his continued complaints led to a red card, leaving the Greens to play the entire second half with 10 men.
Beitar, looking to capitalize on their numerical advantage, found themselves in an even more precarious position just minutes into the second half.
Goalkeeper Miguel Silva fouled Dia Saba just outside the penalty area and was shown a red card, forcing Beitar to play with 10 men as well.
Despite the setbacks, the match saw plenty more action. Haifa equalized in the 67th minute when Kenny Saief found the back of the net, but Beitar regained the lead shortly after through Ayi Kangani.
With the score 2-1 in favor of Beitar, Haifa pushed forward, but it was Beitar’s Patrick Twumasi who sealed the victory in the 88th minute with a well-placed goal, securing the 3-1 win for his team.
Beitar’s coach, Barak Itzhaki, expressed his delight after the match, describing the victory as a testament to his team’s resilience.
“There is never a dull moment here, and the pressure is immense,” he said. “Winning under these circumstances, especially at Sammy Ofer, shows the kind of team we have.”
Maccabi Haifa’s coach, Barak Bachar, was disappointed by his team’s inability to capitalize on their momentum. “At 1-1, we had excellent momentum and could have won the game,” he lamented. “But we took too many risks, didn’t control the pace, and paid the price.”
In other Premier League action, Maccabi Tel Aviv bounced back from a 1-0 halftime deficit to demolish Ashdod SC 5-1. Goals from Dor Peretz, Eran Zahavi, and Osher Davida, along with a brace from Peretz, secured the comprehensive victory for the defending champions.
Meanwhile, Hapoel Beersheba defeated Hapoel Hadera 2-1 to maintain their position atop the table, while Hapoel Haifa thrashed Maccabi Petah Tikva 5-1, with Guy Melamed scoring a hat-trick.
Other notable results included Maccabi Netanya’s dramatic 1-0 win over Ironi Kiryat Shmona, courtesy of a last-minute goal from 17-year-old Daniel Dapaah.
The Israel Premier League continues to deliver high drama, with the title race and relegation battle heating up as teams look to build momentum in the second half of the season.