Hapoel Beer Sheva overwhelmed Hapoel Jerusalem 5-1 as Dan Bitton recorded the first hat-trick of his career while also scoring in his 8th straight games to lead the southern reds to the win. Bitton gave the visitors an early 1-0 lead from inside the box while Guy Mizrachi doubled the advantage as he crossed the ball into the area but his attempt ended up in the back of the goal for a 2-0 lead at the break.

Bitton added his second goal of the game as he blasted the ball into the upper portion of the net off a Kings Kangwa assist but Guy Badash’s individual effort off the left flank beat former national team keeper Ofir Marciano to cut the Beer Sheva lead to 3-1. Bottom completed his hat-trick via the penalty spot after his free kick glanced off of Ohad Almagor’s hand in the area and an own goal by Jerusalem keeper Nadav Zamir put the finishing touches on a 5-1 southern reds victory.

“We came into the game really well but our on field play still needs to improve,” Hapoel Beer Sheva Head Coach Ron Kozuk began. “I was happy as to how we created some of our chances and we did score five goals so that was very good for us. I’m very content with the guys and how they played. For sure I have a keeper that I can trust and Ofir [Marciano who is replacing the injured Niv Eliasi] knows what I think of him and of his quality. I’m really happy with the way he can come in and help out the team.”

“We’re just not good enough with our lack of energy and our injuries hurt us,” Hapoel Jerusalem Head coach Ziv Arie said. “That is why the result is what it is. We are working as best as we can and I hope that we have the ability or pull out of this losing streak but I am always optimistic.”

Ofir Marciano spoke about the game from his point of view, “It was a lot of fun to get the chance to play and I was happy that I could help the team out. It was great that I had the opportunity to do just that. I always want to play but I have to do the best I can when I get that chance to do so. We know as a team what our goals are from game one and we come into the games with the right attitude.”

Maccabi Tel Aviv trounced Ironi Tiberias 4-1 as four different goal scorers helped the yellow-and-blue to the comeback victory. Stanislav Bilenkyi opened the scoring to give the hosts the early lead but Ido Shachar headed home a Sagiv Yehezkel cross in the 28th minute to draw Maccabi even at 1-1.

Yehezkel then scored from the penalty spot after a handball in the box for a 2-1 lead while just before the break the yellow-and-blue were awarded another penalty due to a reckless tackle by the keeper that Ion Nicolaescu missed, however, the striker put in his own rebound for a 3-1 advantage at halftime. Maccabi was handed yet another penalty that Dor Peretz converted to hand Zarko Lazetic’s side the 4-1 win.

“It’s never easy after an international break,” Maccabi Tel Aviv Head Coach Zaria Lazeric said. “We only had two days after everyone came back, so it was important to win, but I’m happy with how we played, we dominated the game from the start. We conceded after two minutes, but I felt confident during the game with how my players looked with and without the ball, but we can still play much better.”

Tiberias Head Coach Eliran Hodada commented, “We started the game well, scored a quick goal and then conceded a goal that was too soft and then three very soft penalties. I can be proud of these guys, they ran and tried and there were periods when we were really good.”

Hapoel Haifa blanked Bnei Sakhnin 2-0 as a pair of second half goals helped the Carmel reds to the 3-points and the win. After a goalless first half that saw Sakhnin’s Glid Otanga sent off with his second yellow card, Haifa took full advantage of the extra man as Ofek Bitton smoked the ball into the goal from just outside of the box in the 63rd minute while Javon East tapped in the insurance marker ten minutes later to secure the victory.

Hapoel Haifa Head Coach Gal Arel, spoke at the end of the game “We came into a very difficult away game and we knew that Sakhnin would come with energy. After the red card we were aware that they would go backwards and to my delight, players with quality came in as substitutes who made the difference, I was pleased with the second half, we created chances and I’m very encouraged.”

Sakhnin’s assistant coach Lior Reuven said, “We started the game well, we were there in the first few minutes, we held the ball and created half-chances, the red card is what ate us up, all the tactics and everything that was worked on changed at that moment.

Hapoel Petach Tikva downed Maccabi Netanya 3-1 as the newly promoted side was able to take the points and the victory over the struggling diamond city side. Idan Cohen helped set up both of the hosts first half goals as he sent Shavit Mazal the perfect ball into the area that the latter easily slotted home for the opening marker of the game in the 22nd minute while James Adenyi did the same a few minutes later to give Omer Peretz’s squad a 2-0 lead. After a missed penalty by Netanya, Petach Tikva added their third goal of the game as Jocelin Ta Bi scorched a ball into the net before Netanya broke up the clean sheet with an Oz Bilu strike in second half injury time.
 
Hapoel Petach Tikva bench boss Omer Peretz was content with the victory, “3 points is the most important thing that we can get from the first home game in the league. We are used to a different pace from last season and we will have to get used to the pace in the top league because we fell off our feet towards the end of the game. But I can’t complain, the players did an excellent job.”

Maccabi Netanya Head Coach Yossi Abuksis summed up the match, “We have a lot of problems in our defensive game. We make a lot of mistakes and we are exposed. This is supposedly a defense that should have been stronger and better than last year, but we have lost confidence. I want to apologize to the fans who came to see us play as this is not how we wanted to look.”

Kiryat Shemona defeated Maccabi Bnei Reineh 3-1 as Muhammed Abu Rami scored a first half brace to snatch the 3-points and the win. Saar Fadida took full advantage of Kiryat Shemona keeper Daniel Tenebaum’s poor clearance as Bnei Reineh took a 1-0 lead in the 6th minute. But Abu Rami headed home Yair Mordechai ball and then nodded in another from Bilal Shaheen as the hosts playing at the Netanya Stadium grabbed a 2-1 lead by the break. Following a Junior Pius red card, Adrian Ugarrizza scored from the penalty spot to wrap up the win.
 
Shai Barda, Kiryat Shemona’s Head Coach spoke about the match, “I feel good and I think the thing that makes me happiest is that after we were down 1-0, we continued to play the same way. I think there is a mental step up here and I am happy about that. I feel that we need to continue to play the same way and that is what is important.”

Bnei Reineh bench boss Slobodan Drapić also talked about the game from his point of view, “We are still building a squad and we are still missing two players as the players who arrived here are not yet fit. We tried to take more from this game, last week against Hapoel Tel Aviv we conceded a goal in the 93rd minute, but our squad is still really unprepared to play.”