Checkmate, Beitar Jerusalem. Barak Itzhaki’s squad may have gone down by an early goal, but it didn’t take them very long to get back on track quickly enough. Bang, bang, bang and that was that for all intents and purposes at a rabid Teddy Stadium as the hosts put any hopes that Maccabi Tel Aviv may have had about winning the championship to bed with a 4-2 victory.

The yellow-and-black dominated the yellow-and-blue from the 6 minute mark or so when Ido Shachar gave Maccabi a short lived 1-0 lead that silenced the crowd. But it didn’t take long for Beitar to show their superiority on the pitch in every facet of the game. Sure Maccabi scored a pair of goals with the second coming just ahead of the break, but after Shacahr’s early strike, Barak Itzhaki’s charges blew away the competition.

Three straight goals from Yarden Shua, Brayan Carabali and Johnbosco Kalu along with an Omer Atzily penalty that was miraculously saved showed just how dominant first place, yes, first place Beitar Jerusalem really is.

They were good, very, very good with all kinds of speed, pace of play and just were the better team at Teddy Stadium, it was as if Maccabi didn’t have a chance even when the score actually said that they did. Up 1-0 from the outset with Beitar spotting the visitors a goal and down 3-2 at halftime would normally say that the yellow-and-blue were in the game. But that was not the case as Beitar were by far the better team, it wasn’t even close.

That’s why when Ronny Deila walked into the post-match press conference it was clear that his team was well done. The expression on his face said it all; Maccabi Tel Aviv version 2025/26 was done and there would be no more coming back from the dead for this team.

The Beitar win pushed Maccabi back to 9-points off the top of the table with 6 matches remaining which is only part of the story. In theory, Maccabi still have a punchers chance with 18 points in the pot, but in reality they would need to not only get past Beitar but also second place Hapoel Beer Sheva. Deila is well aware of that and said so as well.

“This was under our standards and it was and it was a disappointing night,” the Maccabi bench boss said. “We need to be stronger and while I believe that we are still in the race we are disappointed as it’s nine points off the top of the table and a lot of things have to go our way.”

It’s one thing when it’s one team to get by, but it’s an entirely different animal when it’s two and that’s the situation Maccabi is in.

While Beitar Captain Yarden Shua wasn’t interested in eulogizing Maccabi and would rather focus on his own team, the facts are the facts. The game was one-sided despite Maccabi holding on here and there to keep things a bit interesting throughout the 90 minutes of play. Of course, it’s never great to concede just before the halftime whistle which is what Beitar did but as Itzhaki told his guys at halftime was to not take their foot off of the gas and keep pushing and plugging away. An Omer Atzily goal to go up by a pair of markers would take care of that as it was game, set, match.

But in this game it wasn’t just the attack that was crucial but also the tactics that were put in place prior to kickoff which was to clearly close down the midfield as well as Dor Peretz’s ability to pounce on a ball in the box and work his magic as he did to help Maccabi defeat Beer Sheva just last week. Itzhaki was not going to have any of that play a part of his former Maccabi teammate beating him and used a loaded midfield to close down not just Peretz but also Issouf Sissokho from finding a way to beat Beitar.

“The truth is, Dor Peretz’s strengths, the things he does well are very well known” Izthaki said. “When they build up play, he’s positioned very high, so we played with two defensive players instead of one. It was a kind of marking system on him and on Sissoko. We knew they would push players high, so if we pressed well, they wouldn’t have an easy way to play out. The goal was first to shut down Sissoko and force them into long balls, then win those balls and do what we do best in possession.”

Ziv Ben Shimol, Yarin Levy and Boris Enow all put in yeoman’s work from beginning to end in order to ensure that the yellow-and-blue wouldn’t be able do as they pleased and that’s what they did. There was a tremendous amount of frustration exhibited by Sissokho as the match headed towards its end when he elbowed substitute Timoti Muzie in the head as time ticked off the clock ad was issued a red card for his efforts.

The midfield worked to perfection and kept causing Maccabi one issue after the next which was all by design to keep them at bay.

With six more games to go it’s just as if Beitar is playing a State Cup final multiple times per week. So far the Championship Playoffs have been as successful as could be for Beitar with a trio of wins and a draw at Beer Sheva. However, there are six matches to go with a pair against Hapoel Tel Aviv as the first against the reds will take place on Wednesday at Bloomfield, an away trip to Maccabi Haifa, Maccabi Tel Aviv and Hapoel Petach Tikva, plus a home clash versus Hapoel Beer Sheva which will most likely decide the league title.

Two home and four on the road, not the easiest of schedules, but at this point of the season there aren’t any easy slates in front of any of the teams.

Beitar, who are in their 90th Anniversary Season have been honoring some of the great teams of the past which included some of their State Cup titles as well as league championship clubs. Against Maccabi, the 1996/97 and 1997/98 Beitar championship sides were honored as stars of years past, David Amsalem, Itzik Zohar, Ronen Harazi and Itzik Korenfeine were given a huge ovation.

There is no question that with two home games to go, we will also see the 2006/07 and 2007/08 teams honored as well. It would be no doubt thrilling to see Barak Itzhaki, Beitar’s current coach called out and honored as he was a young player with the 06/07 club.

Perhaps though, for the franchise’s 100th Anniversary, he will also be feted as the head coach of a team that surprised many and amazed some by guiding the 2025/26 team to its first league title in close to two decades.