The National League continues at a pace that would not embarrass the Premier League, with a mid-week cycle in which seven games are played in parallel tonight (Tuesday). Focus: The new leader, the Ness Ziona section, is hosted for a top meeting at Hapoel Umm al-Fahm, and the second-ranked Bnei Yehuda is playing in Ramat Gan. On Wednesday, the 17th round will be completed with the meeting between Hapoel Petah Tikva and Hapoel Kfar Saba.
Hapoel Umm al-Fahm – Nes Ziona Section 1: 2 (Half 2)
The trio for the MS network Kfar Qassem raised the section to first place and now the test will be to keep it in front of Motti Ionir’s strong team. Umm al-Fahm may have lost some height recently, but is still only two points behind Ness Ziona and now wants to beat it for the first time, after eight previous attempts that ended with five losses and three draws. Removed Ahmed Yunis is missing for the host defense in a meeting at Green Stadium with league goalscorer Dudu Bitton (11 conquests).
Minute 26: Goal! And who if not Dudu Bitton. Ismail Ryan burst into a breakaway to Levan Kotalia who passed wide and the king of goals had no trouble capturing his 12th from close range. 0: 1 to Nes Ziona.
44 min: Goal! The loss of Ness Ziona’s negligent ball in the center of the field cost dearly, when Bar Yeruham sent a clever deep ball towards Guy Dahan who scored his eighth. Umm al-Fahm equalized 1-1.
53 min: Goal! The upheaval is complete. Amir Lavie picked up a corner kick, Dahan’s shot was repulsed by Yossi Ginzburg, but on the rebound Ofir Benvenisti fired in. 1: 2 Laum al-Fahm.
Hapoel Ramat Gan – Bnei Yehuda 0: 0 (Half 2)
At the end of the eighth round, Bnei Yehuda was with a single victory in 12th place and 10 points away from second place and a ticket to the Premier League. Eight more rounds passed, and Yossi Aboksis’ team added six wins to its balance sheet and by Friday it was already in second place. Since then, the Oranges have managed to release the ties between Shai Mazor and Eitan and Blum, ahead of the opening of the transfer window next week. Hapoel Ramat Gan came out of 14th place thanks to two victories since the appointment of Roni Awat and will try to stop the Oranges, after already winning the Toto Cup this season (1: 2) and finishing with them 1: 1 in the first round.
tax. Kfar Qassem – Hapoel Rishon Lezion 1: 1 (Half 2)
Four goalless games (including the relegation from the cup by Maccabi Kabilio Jaffa from League A South) led to a shock in Kfar Qassem, which fired Shlomi Dora despite leading her to become the first round champion in the national team. In his place was Amir Nussbaum, who will make his debut against the team in which he began his career as a player and will have to make do without Mahran Rady, who is not yet fit to return. Rishon Lezion was also eliminated from the cup by a team from League A South (Maccabi Sha’arim), but their situation is much worse: a point from 15 with Raymond Atfeld and a drop to 14th place, which leads to tests. The Dutchman is still in office, perhaps in the last chance game, and will also sit in the stands in Petah Tikva due to the punishment he received in court after being sent off in the cup.
Minute 31: Goal! The brakeman worried about these failed in the clearance inside the Kfar Qassem plaza, Mathews Lima said thank you and did not fail in front of the goalkeeper. 0: 1 to Hapoel Rishon Lezion.
Minute 45: Red card! Lima sent an elbow in the center of the field in front of Yazan Nassar and was sent off in a direct red. Rishon Lezion with 10 players for an entire half.
51 min: Goal! The Rishon Lezion defense failed in the distance on the verge of its extension and in the end Muhammad Khatib kicked a flat ball to the left into the net. Kfar Qassem equalized to 1: 1.
Betar Tel Aviv – Maccabi Bnei Reina 0: 0 (Half 2)
Kalmi Saban achieved two away victories over rivals at the bottom, counting three games without a loss and without absorption and even if Betar Tel Aviv Bat Yam is still in last place, it seems to be facing up. Without a home win, the surprising Bnei Reina lost the loss-free home record when they lost 2: 1 to Hapoel Ramat Gan on Friday, and in the same game they also lost Yaakov Abba, who was sent off.
Hapoel Acre – Hapoel Adumim Ashdod 1: 1 (Half 2)
The seventh and eighth in the table still do not know where they are headed this season and are trying to collect points for a rainy day. Hapoel Acre’s exciting attack was stopped recently, with three games without a win in which they scored only two goals, and this time they are still missing striker Zahi Ahmad because of five yellow cards. The rival from Ashdod is still undefeated at home, but away it counts four consecutive losses and this is an era that Ricky will try to stop.
Minute 9: Goal! The brake Avi Malka advanced unhindered and then bombed from 22 meters at half height to the net. 0: 1 to Adumim Ashdod. The first goal of the brake since September 2018, and even then it was for the Acre chain, only in the Hapoel Jerusalem uniform.
Minute 10: Goal! The quick equality of the hostess. Goalkeeper Guy Herman came out very bad for a lift from the left and the top on the back of Nir Hasson, from whom the ball rolled in and it is an own goal. Acre back to 1: 1.
Maccabi Achi Nazareth – Hapoel Raanana 0: 0 (Half 2)
Apart from Bnei Yehuda, there is only one other team that has not lost in the last six rounds, and that is Hapoel Raanana, which was pulled from the red line thanks to four wins and two draws. Eli Cohen managed to stabilize the team and is now looking for a third consecutive away win, when he has to do without the yellowed Peter Olawella. My brother Nazareth is in 10th place with more points and has already defeated Raanana at home this season (0: 2 in the cup) but comes a frustrating loss in extra time in Afula which was its second in a row in the league.
Minute 16: Missing a penalty! Ben Azoubel was fouled in the box by Gil Salem and approached the penalty spot himself, but his kick was repelled by Omar Nahfawi who has already stopped three penalties this season.
Hapoel Nir Ramat Hasharon – Hapoel Afula 1: 2 (Half 2)
Afula’s two consecutive victories caused the semi-league to look apprehensively towards the red line, with another victory stabilizing Eldad Shavit’s team just a point away from Ramat Hasharon, which is currently in 11th place after five games without a win. Captain Or Ostwind is still far away and the team from Sharon (which is forced to host Lod) will have to find solutions, with the yellowed Elvis Saki absent on the other side.
Minute 12: Goal! After the pair in the previous round, Elior Mishaeli rose great to the lift of Roi Rabinovich from the left and slammed in. 0: 1 to Ramat Hasharon.
Minute 47: Goal! Substitute Ilai Hajjaj delivered a message from the left side of the extension and Alon Bozorgi slipped and allowed. Afula equalized to 1: 1.
51 min: Goal! Abubkar Barry penetrated the plaza and threw himself in front of Sheriff Kiuf’s outstretched hands. The referee pointed to the white spot and Mashali completed a double. 1: 2 to Ramat Hasharon.
18th round games
Friday (15:00):
tax. Kafr Qassem – Hapoel Umm al-Fahm
Section Ness Ziona – Maccabi Achi Nazareth
Bnei Yehuda – Betar Tel Aviv Bat Yam
Hapoel Raanana – Hapoel Nir Ramat Hasharon
Hapoel Afula – Hapoel Acre
Monday (19:00):
Hapoel Kfar Saba – Hapoel Ramat Gan
Maccabi Bnei Reina – Hapoel Rishon Lezion
Hapoel Adumim Ashdod – Hapoel Petah Tikva