Hapoel Ra'anana secured a convincing 3-1 victory over Maccabi Kabliah Yaffo in the fifth round of Israel's Liga Leumit on Thursday evening. The result sees the visitors move up to third place with nine points from four matches, while the hosts remain rooted at the bottom of the table with just three points.
D. Atlan was the standout performer, scoring twice in the first half before adding a third goal late in the game. His opening strike came in the 40th minute, giving Ra'anana the lead just before the interval. Atlan doubled his tally in the 54th minute, and D. Maya added a fourth goal in the 64th minute before the hosts pulled one back.
By then, the match had turned into a procession. Hapoel Ra'anana took control after the break and never looked back. And here's the thing — the drama came at the wrong end for the home side. D. Sirkis received a red card in the 78th minute, and P. Michael immediately missed a penalty opportunity.
Statistics tell the story of a one-sided contest. Ra'anana enjoyed 55 per cent possession and registered 10 shots on target compared to just three for the home side. The hosts managed only two corners while the visitors claimed four. Hapoel also registered 72 attacks against 54 for Maccabi Kabliah Yaffo.
We had given a prediction of a home win with 38 per cent confidence, but the match went another way entirely. What broke our forecast was Ra'anana's clinical efficiency in front of goal — three goals from ten shots on target. The hosts, meanwhile, failed to convert any of their three attempts on target.