Maccabi Haifa easily disposed of Maccabi Netanya 2-0 thanks to a pair of second half goals at the Netanya Stadium. After a number of near misses by Tjaron Chery and Yuval Ashkenazi, the Greens took a 1-0 lead when Nikita Rukavytsya found the back of Dani Amos’s goal with the help of Yanic Wildschut’s assist. Marko Balbul’s squad added an insurance marker nine minutes later Rukavytsya played facilitator when he assisted on Ashkenazi’s strike to get the Greens back in the win column after falling to Maccabi Tel Aviv last week.

Maccabi Tel Aviv hosted Beitar Jerusalem to a dry 0-0 goalless draw at Sammy Ofer Stadium in a game that was played in Haifa due to a radius penalty imposed on the Yellow & Blue.

Last place Hapoel Ranaana stunned Hapoel Beer Sheva 2-1 at the Moshava Stadium as the new southern side coach, Yossi Abuksis lost in his debut behind the bench. After a goalless first half, Karem Arshid beat Ohad Levita in the 52nd minute to give Niso Avitan’s Raanana a 1-0 lead. However, Ben Sahar drew Beer Sheva even a quarter hour later as the striker scored his 9th goal of the campaign. But Raanana captain Snir Shuker would have the last word as the second half substitute, took a magnificent through ball by Roy Levy and put it behind Levita to take all 3 points and send the visitors to their second loss in a row.

Hapoel Tel Aviv defeated Bnei Yehuda 2-1 at Bloomfield Stadium to win their third game in a row while going undefeated in their last five contests. The Reds grabbed a 1-0 lead in the 36th minute as Omri Altman sent a pinpoint perfect corner to Raz Shlomo as the latter nodded the ball past the Bnei Yehuda shot stopper Emilias Zoubas. However, the advantage held up for only three minutes as Dor Jan also headed home a goal to draw even at 1-1 by the break. With each side looking for the winner, Nir Klinger’s squad found it when the Altman’s attempt inside the box trickled by Zoubas to give Hapoel the 2-1 victory. The Reds will visit Bnei Sakhnin while Bnei Yehuda will host Hapoel Afula in State Cup play on Wednesday. 

Hapoel Haifa got back onto the winning track with a 1-0 home victory over upstart Ashdod. Sa’ar Fadida stole the ball in the midfield and unleashed a scorcher of a strike from just outside of the box which beat Roie Mishpati cleanly for the lone goal of the contest at Sammy Ofer Stadium.

Hapoel Hadera slipped by Kiryat Shemona 1-0 as Sharon Mimer’s team moved into fifth place. Mohammad Abu Fani headed home a perfect Hagay Goldenberg cross as the midfielder has now scored a goal in three straight weeks.

Hapoel Kfar Saba needed a 9th minute Benjamin Kuku header to defeat Sektzia Ness Tziona 1-0 as the Greens leapfrogged over their rivals and out of the relegation zone.