Maccabi Tel Aviv hammered Hapoel Hadera 5-0 as the yellow-and-blue featured five different goal scorers which included markers in the 1st and 90th minutes of the match. With rumors swirling around the future of coach Vladen Ivic with the club as a supposed large offer is on the table from Krasnodar, Enric Saborit nodded home Maccabi’s first goal just seconds after the opening whistle.

Djordje Ivanpvoc cleaned up a Maor Kandil ball to double the host’s advantage in the 20th minute, while Oscar Glouch assisted on an Eran Zahavi marker twenty minutes later to go up 3-0. However, just before the break yellow-and-blue defender Shachar Piven was issued his second yellow card and sent off leaving Maccabi with just ten men for the balance of the game.

Just a quarter hour into the second half, Hadera’s Oren Sitbon was handed a straight red card due to a reckless foul on Avi Rikan and the goal scoring barrage continued soon thereafter. Parfait Guiagon score in the 69th minute and Sheran Yeini found the back of the goal in the 90th minute to polish the win and take the 3-points.

“We scored the first goal in the opening minute and the second came quickly after,” Ivic began after the victory. “We gained confidence as there have been many games where we had many hands but couldn’t score so it was important that we did so early.”

The Maccabi bench boss also addressed his future with the club, “I can’t say anything on this matter. There are things that I can’t talk about. I am here and I am the coach of Maccabi Tel Aviv and can’t say anything else.”

“I was thinking about the 6-0 loss that we had in the first round and once we gave up a goal in the first minute everything changed,” Hadera coach Asaf Nimni said. “We were in the game even when we were down 2-0 but at the end of the day the talent level was decisive in this match.”

Eran Zahavi also reflected on the game, “It wasn’t easy but it’s clear that when you score in the opening minute the game opens up and makes things easier. Sometimes you take your foot off the gas after an early goal and things can turnaround but we came in sharp and focussed and played a very good team game.”

Hapoel Beer Sheva won a 3-2 thriller over Beitar Jerusalem down south as Dor Micha scored the late winner to take the points. Ramzi Safouri opened the scoring in the 5th minute for the hosts as his scorcher from the top of the box caromed off of defender Or Zahavi and into the goal for a 1-0 lead.

Alexandru Păun doubled the advantage on a terrific individual effort at the beginning of the second half but a 66th minute Yaeden Shua penalty cut the lead to 2-1 with the momentum now with the yellow-and-black. Trazie Thomas took an Ion Nicolaescu ball and evened the game up at 2-2 in the 78th minute but Dor Micha pounced on an Itamar Israeli clearance to score the decisive goal for Beer Sheva as the hosts took the win.

“We can split the game up between before and after the penalty to Beitar,” Beer Sheva coach Elyaniv Barda said. “We should have killed off the game earlier but once it was 2-1 we just kept playing our way but we knew that Beitar could score and then we gave up a goal. However, we knew how to comeback and take the win on the late goal.”

“We played well and we came back from two goals down at a very tough stadium to play in,” Beitar coach Yossi Abuksis said. “But then we gave up a goal and it’s too bad to lose this way, it’s disappointing.” We started very poorly but the players came back. There are a lot of good things to take out of this game and we are not the same team from the first half as we couldn’t even score back then.”

Hapoel Jerusalem and Kiryat Shemona drew 1-1 in a dramatic ending to split the points at Teddy Stadium. In Nir Berkovic’s debut as the northerners coach, Eyad Habshi was credited with an own goal in the 34th minute to give the Reds a 1-0 lead. However, Habshi was able to correct his wrong as he slotted home a very late 100th minute second half injury time penalty after a handball in the box to earn a point on the road.

“A draw is better than a loss,” Berkovic began. “We battled an we were able to take a very important point, now we will prepare for Maccabi Tel Aviv. This is a hungry team that wants to succeed and we will find solutions to the issues. I believe that we will stay in the league.”

“There’s not much to say,” Jerusalem coach Ziv Arie said. “We came into the game against a team that appointed a new coach that were desperate for points and it was clear that this would not be an easy game. We needed to score a second goal and hold onto the ball better but that’s football.”

Eyad Habshi also looked back at the game, “Hapoel Jerusalem is in the midst of a very good season and we knew that they have a very good attack. I am happy I was able to score and while I would have liked it to be a winning goal it gave us an important point.”

Hapoel Haifa and Bnei Reineh played to a goalless draw as the Carmel Reds lost Eliel Peretz to a red card in the 15th finite which set the defensive tone for the balance of the game as each team took a point.

“We tried to play offensively from the get go but the red card totally changed the game,” Haifa coach Roni Levy said. “It’s very hard to play 90 minutes with just 10 men I have to give a good word to the guys who did a great job. I don’t think that it was such an aggressive foul and in my day as a player they wouldn’t have given a red card.”

“It’s too bad that this was a draw as we were handed a present in the first half and we had to come up with better attacking options,” Reineh coach Sharon Mimer said. “We had a lot of chances that I felt we just weren’t there. We are working with management to see what we are missing and we will go form there as the transfer window approaches.”

Nes Ziona blanked Ashdod 2-0 thanks to a pair of late goals to take the 3-points and the win. After a scoreless first half, Almog Buzgalo scored off an Or Roizman ball while the latter also found the back of the goal in added time to chalk up the victory.

“We earned 3 very important points and Nir Berkovic is behind us,” interim Nes Ziona coach Ami Tiara explained. “We are looking ahead and while this wasn’t the highest level of play, the players were very committed. With a small change during the January transfer window we will be able to complete our mission.”

Moshe Ohayon who was on the Ashdod sidelines in place of Ran Ben Shimon due to a suspension wrapped up the game from his point of view, “We needed a Chanukah miracle to win this game and we knew that Nes Ziona played on the counter and were very dangerous. Even if we don’w win, this is not the way to los, it’s very disappointing.”