Beitar Jerusalem defeated Maccabi Haifa 2-0 at Teddy Stadium thanks to a first half penalty by new recruit Eliran Atar and a late goal by Freddy Plumain. Atar who moved from Maccabi Tel Aviv during the transfer window gave the hosts a 1-0 lead in the 26th minute after Ali Mohammed drew the spot kick by being pulled down in the box by Greens defender Ofir Arad. Haifa had a chance to equalize after a Mohammed hand ball gave Tjaron Chery a penalty kick as well but Itamar Nitzan made the save to keep the score as is right before the break. Freddy Plumain added a late marker during second half injury time to seal the 2-0 win. 

Maccabi Tel Aviv and Hapoel Haifa drew 1-1 at Sammy Ofer Stadium. Yonatan Cohen sent a terrific through ball to Itay Shechter who made no mistake and put it behind a helpless Jasmin Buric. However, the one goal lead wouldn’t hold up as Nes Zamir scored a 94th minute strike to split the points and shock the yellow-and-blue. Israeli superstar Eran Zahavi began training with the club this week at his request to keep in shape due to the postponement of the Chinese League. The Israel National Team faces Scotland in March in a Nation’s League playoff game for one of the final places in this summer’s Euro Tournament.

Hapoel Beer Sheva slammed Sektzia Nes Tziona 3-0 as striker Ben Sahar scored a brace for Yossi Abuksis’s squad that was reduced to the men just before halftime. Dutch winger Elton Acolatse who just joined the club in the recent transfer window assisted on Sahar’s first goal in the 9th minute, while the striker added his second 22 minutes later to give the hosts a 2-0 lead. Beer Sheva’s Or Dadia was issued a red card in the 41st leaving the Reds with ten men but that didn’t stop Miguel Vitor for heading home their third goal to wrap up a 3-0 victory.

Maccabi Netanya slipped by Hapoel Raanana 2-1 as Tim Heubach scored a 91st minute penalty to give the diamond city side the 3 points. Yoav Tomer gave host’s Raanana a 1-0 lead in the 11th minute via a penalty but halftime substitute Fatos Beciraj found the equalizer just a minute into the second half to draw Netanya even at 1-1. As the sides traded chances, Avichai Yadin was sent off with his second yellow in the 83rd minute giving Slobodan Drapic and Shay Barda’s squad a man advantage. Raanana’s Ben Binyamin handled the ball in the box good for a Netanya penalty that Heubach made no mistake with and put it behind Asaf Tzur for the 2-1 win.

Hapoel Hadera defeated Hapoel Kfar Saba 2-0 at the Netanya Stadium. In the 38th minute, Ben Reichert was issued his second yellow card good for a red card after he committed a foul on George Fochive in the midfield which left the visitors with only 10 men. The aforementioned Fochive then gave Hadera a 1-0 lead right before the break as he scored from insist the box in the 45th minute. The host’s added an insurance marker in the 62nd minute when Eliel Peretz put the back into the left hand corner of the goal as Sharon Mimer’s squad took the 3 points.

Hapoel Tel Aviv knocked off Kiryat Shemona 2-0 at Bloomfield Stadium as Omri Altman scored a pair of second half penalties to take the win. Ori Tza’adon committed a foul on Altman good for a 65th penalty that he scored from 11 meters and seven minutes later a Tza’adon hand ball led to Altman’s second goal from the spot as the Reds took the points.

Bnei Yehuda slipped by Ashdod 1-0 at the Port City thanks to new recruit Mihlali Mayambela’s 24th goal. The South African midfielder, who just arrived during the winter transfer window, skillfully dribbled into the box and scored off his own rebound to notch the only marker of the match.