We’re only in Matchday Two, but yet the Israeli soccer league will have a primetime super-duper clash to treat the fans when Beitar Jerusalem host Maccabi Haifa. Anytime that these two play one another you can count on a barnburner and that’s what over 30,000 fans who’ll pack Teddy Stadium in the capital city on Sunday night at 8:30pm will be looking forward to.

Haifa comes in after blasting Maccabi Beni Reineh 4-0 for what seemed to have been their first convincing win under brand new head coach Argentine Diego Flores. The yellow-and-black enter the clash after getting by Bnei Sakhnin 2-1 on the road and without fans in their first win at Doha Stadium in close to a decade.

On top of that, Barak Itzhaki’s Beitar blanked Haifa 2-0 in the Toto Cup in July up by the Carmel, but at this point that game is ancient history and Flores agreed with that sentiment.

“It will be a completely different game from the Toto Cup. Back then, we had just returned from training camp. We’re going to face a good and serious team, we need to be focused on every detail and we have the tools to win. We’re going to do everything to make it happen.”

Both teams tried their luck in Europe attempting to qualify for the Conference League but were eliminated, Haifa earlier than Beitar, but it was the latter that looked much more the part of a continental club while the former, well not so much.

However, perhaps all the above can be thrown out as emotions will be high while the fanbases will be also raring to go, but maybe, just maybe the team have switched places; Beitar being the real offensive threat and Haifa looking to hunker down and not allow what has been a lethal attack to do as they please.

“I don’t look for the word favorites,” Beitar defender Gil Cohen said. “We’re at the beginning of the season, I think the game will be tough and I hope we take the 3-points. Both teams are very good and want to compete at the top. I think it’ll be a good game. We need to win this one.”

Sure it’s the start of the season but tell that to the 30K+ that will descend on the stadium on Sunday night. It doesn’t matter if this was week two, week six, or week thirty of the league. There are expectations and the Beitar fans want to win, especially against Maccabi Haifa.

“This isn’t the first game Teddy will be full, fortunately,” Itzhaki commented. “Since I arrived here, the fans have shown a lot of faith in the team with season ticket purchases, merchandise, coming to games at home and abroad. Everyone knows the advantages of Teddy and I’m sure we’ll do everything to give them some joy after the match.”

Cohen agreed with the bench boss, “We love big games and as far as we’re concerned, every match could be at a packed stadium. The more fans that come to support, the more strength it gives us to keep going. We don’t feel pressure.”

I’m not so sure I buy the fact that they don’t feel any pressure, there is always pressure no matter what and in a game like this one, the players know that they are expected to win.

Winning is the name of the game and one of Flores’s bunkers so to speak in midfielder Goni Naor isn’t thinking of anything else.

“Yes, of course [we think we can win]. What kind of question is that? We go to every stadium to win. It’s going to be a great game and a lot of fun. These are two teams that press and play good football, I’m looking forward to it.”

Omer Atzily and Yarden Shua are a pair of Beitar players that will no doubt cause Haifa all kinds of trouble as long as the pair can keep out of trouble themselves. Shua had a bit of tiff with the sports director Almog Cohen that led to him missing a pair of games as the team levied down a suspension as well. But the Israel National Team player will be back.

Atzily on the other hand is on the no flight list for the national team and was not called up although, it should be time that he can play once again for the blue-and white as he paid his dues. He is also without a doubt the league’s best player and while Itzhaki is happy to have him he didn’t want to begin commenting on if he should or shouldn’t be part of the nation team squad.

For Itzhaki, he was not interested in showing any of his cards as to what role Shua was going o play and also was clear that there are no guaranteed starters in his eyes, although during Friday’s practice Shua was not practicing as a starter but someone who was going to be coming off of the bench.

“I never sit here and tell you who’s going to play before a match. What happened is already over. He’s back in training and as far as I’m concerned, that’s history. It’s a privilege for a coach to have good players in form. We’ll see on Sunday what my decisions will be. I stand by everything I do—there are many things that happen in training and games that the media doesn’t see. One thing’s for sure: I always go with the professional decisions.”

“I don’t use terms like ‘guaranteed starters,’” Itzhaki explained. “There are players in good form and they deserve credit. Out of 7 games, we’ve won 6 and the same amount were away games. The players deserve credit because that’s not easy. We’re in good form but at the end of the day, I’m the one standing on the sidelines and making the decisions. Sometimes they’re tough, sometimes less so, but I have to stand behind them.”

Flores is well aware of the damage that the duo can cause, “I know them too. They are very important players who can decide games. Beitar has a strong attack with several options. We need to stay focused, as I said.”

Beitar and Itzhaki will also be focussed and focussed to collect the win, “This is a big game, and big players need to show up for games like this,” Itzhaki summed up. “It’s a charged and fun match for a player to be on the pitch. One thing’s for sure—we’re expecting a tough game. Maccabi Haifa started strong, so it’ll be interesting. The fans will enjoy it and I hope in the end the result goes our way.”