Beitar Jerusalem hit the road Sunday night to face Hapoel Petach Tikva at Moshava Stadium, looking to return to winning ways after a goalless home draw with Maccabi Tel Aviv ended their four-game winning streak.

The yellow-and-black have often struggled against Omer Peretz’s side, particularly away from home. Last season, the teams played out a hard-fought goalless draw in the Championship Playoffs, while Beitar needed two late goals from Dor Hugi to secure a regular-season victory.

Petach Tikva have endured a difficult start to the campaign, collecting just four points from seven matches to sit 12th in the table. Peretz’s team also struggled during the Toto Cup preseason competition and their performances have yet to improve in the league.

One player Beitar will look to for a strong performance is right-back Nana Antwi, who has become a valuable addition since arriving during last season’s winter transfer window. The 26-year-old Ghanaian has made 14 Israeli league appearances and featured in four European matches after joining from Romanian side FC Hermannstadt. Although injuries have sidelined him twice since his arrival, Antwi has established himself as a reliable presence on the right flank.

Antwi has impressed at both ends of the pitch, combining his ability to push forward and create chances with his defensive responsibilities. That was particularly evident in Monday’s clash with Maccabi Tel Aviv, when he was tasked with containing dangerous winger Helio Varela, who represented Cape Verde at this summer’s World Cup.

Varela caused problems during the opening 10 to 15 minutes, but after a brief conversation with head coach Almog Cohen, Antwi adjusted his approach and kept the winger largely quiet for the remainder of the match.

“During the first 15 minutes, I was coming back from an injury and needed to get myself back up to speed,” Antwi explained. “After the coach spoke to me, I got closer to him on the pitch. Varela is a good winger in this league, and being able to match him is important for us. If he’s out of the game, Maccabi Tel Aviv will be out of rhythm.”

Cohen explained the tactical adjustment that helped Antwi get the better of the matchup.

“First of all, we made a few adjustments to our pressing for this particular game. Once we realized Nana had a very good matchup against Varela, we had him press less aggressively from one defender to another, while Timoti Muzie was the one stepping out to press,” Cohen said.

“That allowed us to maintain our shape, close down the spaces and give Nana the opportunity to get into one-on-one running battles with Varela. I think he did that very well, apart from the start of the game.”

Antwi has quickly developed a strong connection with Beitar, expressing his affection for the club, its supporters and Jerusalem with a broad smile.

“I feel great here. Of all the clubs I’ve played for, I always say Beitar is the best club I’ve ever played for in my life. I love this club. First of all, the fans, but really everyone, the team is amazing, and they’re like a family. That’s why I love this club.”

The right-back is also confident that Beitar can compete with, and even surpass, the league’s top sides.

“I don’t see Beitar as being just at their level. Maybe we’re even much better than them!”

To back up that belief, Beitar must take care of business against Petach Tikva. After cruising past Hapoel Ramat Gan a couple of weeks ago, Cohen’s side will be eager to deliver another convincing performance and collect all three points as they look to close the gap on league leaders Maccabi Haifa, who sit five points ahead.

Antwi knows the challenge will be significant despite Petach Tikva’s poor start.

“Hapoel Petach Tikva are a good team. Last season, I was injured and didn’t play in the away game against them, but they played well against us, and we missed out on the championship,” he said. “This time, it’s another away game at the same stadium. We respect them because they’re a very good team, but we’re going there to take the points. We need to stay focused and prepare because we need these three points.”

Cohen likewise warned against judging Petach Tikva solely by their position in the table, pointing to the quality in their squad and their ability to trouble Beitar if given the opportunity.

“We really want to come out and play our game at a very high tempo,” Cohen said. “We have a lot of respect for Hapoel Petach Tikva, even though they’re going through a tough spell. I think they play good, high-quality football, and if we don’t give them the respect they deserve and approach the game with the utmost seriousness, they will punish us.

“Our primary goal is to come in with maximum seriousness and be fully prepared for what they will do.”

If Beitar can execute that plan, their ambitions remain firmly within reach. Antwi believes the team has continued to improve since its European campaign and is confident that even better performances lie ahead.

“We look like a better team now. You can see it from the European matches until now. We’re doing our best and playing good football, and I think we’ll do even better this season,” he said.

“This season, the target is the championship.”