The fourth matchday of the Ligat Ha’al Championship Playoff gave us a rare Monday night triple-header, thanks to the Passover holiday landing on the weekend.
The BabaGol crew was on the ground in two stadiums: Turner Stadium, where Hapoel Be’er Sheva hosted Beitar Jerusalem, and Bloomfield, which set the stage for the heated Maccabi Tel Aviv–Maccabi Haifa rivalry.
Down south, the clash featured second-placed title contenders Be’er Sheva against the fresh Israeli Cup finalists from the capital, who had just thrashed Maccabi Bnei Reineh 5-1 in Thursday’s semi-final.
Beitar once considered themselves in the title race earlier this season, but a 4-1 thumping at Turner in December dealt a heavy blow to those hopes. Barak Itzhaki’s side is now battling for third place.
Be’er Sheva, once table-toppers, had dropped to second after a 3-1 loss to Maccabi Tel Aviv two matchdays ago. A crucial 3-0 win away to Maccabi Haifa, however, reignited belief in Ran Kozuch’s squad.
Scenes in Be’er Sheva. Turner Stadium after Miguel Vitor’s goal. (Photo courtesy: BabaGol)
FIRST HALF
The first half was played at a frantic pace. In the 19th minute, Guy Mizrahi stole the ball and squared it to Kings Kangwa, who slotted home calmly. It was the Zambian’s 12th goal of the season—firmly placing him in the Player of the Season conversation.
But Beitar didn’t fold. In the 30th minute, Yarden Shua—always a counter-attacking threat—picked out Myron George on the edge of the box. The Costa Rican shook off his marker and blasted into the top corner. A sensational goal, and his first league strike since his last visit to Turner.
The match turned on its head in the 40th minute. Beitar’s Adi Yona flew in with a dangerous midfield tackle and saw red. VAR confirmed it. 1-1 at the break, but Beitar were a man down.
SECOND HALF
The second half mirrored the first in intensity. At the hour mark, Miguel Vitor’s header from Dan Biton’s corner smashed the crossbar. Beitar immediately countered, with Omer Atzili feeding Timothy Muzi, but Eliasi made a heroic save to deny him.
Then came the madness of stoppage time.
In the 91st minute, a brilliant Shua through ball found Zohar Zasno, who scored—only to be flagged offside.
Two minutes later, another Vitor header from a corner hit the crossbar again, nearly crossing the line. Gil Cohen cleared the rebound off the line, but Be’er Sheva kept the pressure on.
On the third attempt, they found gold. Another corner, another scramble, and this time Vitor was there to smash it into the net, past his good friend Miguel Silva. Turner erupted.
With Silva up for a last-gasp Beitar corner, Be’er Sheva launched a counter with Kangwa and sub Arnold Garita, who finished into the empty net—only to be denied by an earlier offside.
Beitar had one last push, but it was Be’er Sheva who had the final word. Another breakaway, and this time Amir Ganah sealed it. Absolute scenes. Full-time: 3-1.
An hour later, word of the 1-1 draw at Bloomfield filtered into Turner. Kozuch and Vitor let out a collective sigh of relief. Be’er Sheva are back on top—at least for now.
Coach Ran Kozuch downplayed the standings:
“The only thing that matters now is the next game in Sammy Ofer vs. Hapoel Haifa, not the table or other teams’ results.”
He added:
“We showed character—that’s the base of everything we do. But we also played really well. The team seized the moment.”
On the Beitar side, frustration was clear.
Gil Cohen said:
“The red card really hurt us. It was a refereeing mistake—not for the first time this season.”
Coach Itzhaki echoed the frustration:
“We executed our first-half game plan very well, but the red changed everything.”
Now, the pressure is back on Be’er Sheva. Next up? A tricky away day at Hapoel Haifa on Saturday.
As for Beitar, their eyes turn to the Cup final—possibly a rematch against Be’er Sheva, or a fierce showdown with Hapoel Tel Aviv.
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