Beitar Jerusalem blanked Hapoel Jerusalem 2–0 to take the derby and paint the capital yellow-and-black, as first-half goals by Gonzalez and Omer Atzily sealed the victory for Barak Itzhaki’s side.
The hosts struck just 30 seconds in when Gonzalez finished a superb ball from Atzily for a 1-0 lead. Both sides traded chances, but Atzily doubled the advantage before the break with a curling effort.
Beitar continued to press in the second half, with Atzily and Gonzalez both threatening, while Miguel Silva kept Hapoel at bay to secure the win.
“When you score so quickly, the players gain confidence,” Itzhaki said. “It’s been a long time since we won a derby, and we did it in style.”
Hapoel coach Ziv Arie lamented the slow start but noted his side created chances, while goalkeeper Nadav Zamir admitted the early goal made the match difficult.
Hapoel Beersheba beats Maccabi Tel Aviv
In other action, Hapoel Beersheba defeated Maccabi Tel Aviv 3-1 to finish the regular season in first place.
Eliel Peretz opened the scoring, Sayed Abu Farhi equalized from the penalty spot, but Kings Kangwa responded immediately and added a second in stoppage time to seal the win.
“We understand what a strong team we are,” said coach Ran Kozuk. “We embrace the difficult moments as part of the journey.”
Maccabi coach Roni Deila was blunt about his side’s performance.
“We weren’t good enough and couldn’t cope with the intensity.”
Maccabi Haifa cruised past Ironi Kiryat Shmona 4–1, with Guy Melamed scoring twice off the bench.
Eitan Azulay opened early, Melamed doubled the lead, and Manuel Benson restored a two-goal cushion before halftime after Adrián Ugarriza briefly cut the deficit. Melamed’s late header wrapped up the win.
“We controlled the tempo and finished the game properly,” said Haifa coach Barak Bachar, while Shay Barda criticized his side’s lack of intensity in the first half.
Hapoel Petah Tikva and Hapoel Tel Aviv played to a 0-0 draw, a result that secured Petah Tikva’s place in the Championship Playoffs.
“This is the greatest joy I’ve ever had from a draw,” said coach Omer Peretz. “We took what was ours.”
Tel Aviv coach Elyaniv Barda called the result disappointing, citing poor execution in the final third.
Maccabi Netanya and Hapoel Haifa also drew 0-0, as did Ironi Tiberias and Ashdod SC. Meanwhile, Bnei Sakhnin edged Maccabi Bnei Reineh 1-0 thanks to an early Ahmed Salman penalty.
Netanya coach Roni Levi expressed frustration at missed chances, while Haifa’s Haim Silvas praised his side’s defensive effort but admitted his side’s attack lacked composure.
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