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Beitar Jerusalem showcased one of their most dominant performances of the season as captain Yarden Shua delivered a spectacular hat-trick inside the first 20 minutes, leading his side to a commanding 5-0 victory over Ironi Tiberias on Tuesday night.
Despite rumors that he might be rested due to a knee concern before the upcoming Jerusalem derby, Shua started the match and immediately stole the spotlight. His goals came in quick succession — first from a loose ball, then a sharp header from a corner, and finally a light touch redirecting a Johnbosco Kalu assist.
“I’m very happy that I scored the first hat-trick of my career,” Shua said after the win.
“I’m happy first of all that the team won and we brought the points home. With God’s help,
we’ll continue like this.”
Beitar extended their lead through Dor Hugi and Adi Yona, maintaining complete control from start to finish. The victory pushes them to 26 points after 11 rounds, just three behind league leaders Hapoel Beersheba.
Meanwhile, Maccabi Tel Aviv battled to a 2-1 win over Hapoel Haifa despite going down to ten men following Ido Shachar’s straight red card. Sayed Abu Farhi and Dor Peretz found the net for the yellow-and-blue, while Javon East responded late for Haifa.
Coach Zarko Lazetic praised his side’s resilience and intensity, especially after losing a
player. Haifa captain Gal Arel, however, expressed disappointment with the team’s second-half collapse and inability to capitalize on their numerical advantage.
Maccabi Haifa finally broke an eight-match drought against Hapoel Tel Aviv, securing a
hard-earned 2-1 victory. After a quiet first half, Dolev Haziza converted a penalty, and
Guy Melamed doubled the lead. Roy Korine scored late for Hapoel, but it wasn’t enough.
Coach Barak Bachar described the breakthrough win as “like a birth,” emphasizing the team’s ability to withstand pressure. Hapoel manager Elyaniv Barda pointed to missed opportunities as the key factor in their defeat.
In another fixture, Hapoel Beersheba were held to a 1-1 draw by Hapoel Petah Tikva. Igor
Zlatanovic opened for Beersheba before Jocelin Tabi equalized, earning Petah Tikva an
important point away from home.
Maccabi Bnei Reineh celebrated their first win of the season in dramatic fashion, defeating
Hapoel Jerusalem 2-1 with an injury-time winner. Iyad Khalaili scored early, Matan Hozez
equalized in the 90th minute, and Abdallah Jaber stunned the visitors with a 98th-minute
goal.
Elsewhere, Bnei Sakhnin and Ironi Kiryat Shmona finished 1-1 after Yair Mordechai and Ahmad Salman exchanged goals. Maccabi Netanya and Ashdod SC shared a 2-2 draw, with Ashdod mounting a determined late comeback through Eugene Ansah and Nehorai Dabush.
With December’s busy schedule ahead, Beitar Jerusalem now turns its attention to the
high-stakes Jerusalem derby. From Shua’s historic hat-trick to dramatic late winners across
the league, Israeli football fans are preparing for an exciting and thrilling month of
action.
