Maccabi Haifa meets MS Ashdod at this time for a difficult game at the YA Stadium as part of the 23rd round of the Premier League. The Greens want to increase the gap at the top temporarily from Po’el Beer Sheva and Maccabi Tel Aviv, just before they meet for a direct battle, at the end of which one of them could leave the championship race.
Barak Becher’s team, who is suspended from the game this evening, ended a streak of four games without a win in all competitions in the last round after winning 0:2 against Kiryat Shmona in Sami Ofer. Before that, the champion finished with 1:1 with Hapoel Hadera and 2:2 with Maccabi Netanya in the State Cup.
On the other side of the barricade, Ran Ben Shimon’s team still aims to reach the top playoffs, but failed to win in its last four games, including a 2:1 loss to Beitar Jerusalem in the last round. Before that, the team finished 1:1 with Hapoel Haifa, Hapoel Petah Tikva in the cup and Kiryat Shmona.
The Greens celebrated a 3:1 victory over Ashdod in the first round of the league, and last season they beat it 6:0 at Sami Ofer, including a four by Omar Atzili. At the same time, the previous meeting between the BA teams ended in 2:2 in October 2021. A Green victory will temporarily increase the gap from second place to seven points.