Maccabi Petah-Tikva secured a 2-1 victory over Bnei Sakhnin in the Ligat Ha'Al regular season second round on Saturday evening. The match, played at the Sakhnin municipal stadium, ended with the visitors taking all three points despite going behind early. And here's the thing — it wasn't the possession that decided it.
Ilay Hajaj gave Bnei Sakhnin the lead in the first minute, a quick strike that caught the visitors off guard. Samuel Owusu equalised just before half-time, 45+1', and Liran Hazan turned the game around with a 57th-minute goal. By then Maccabi had already shown they meant business.
The substitutions came thick and fast in the second half. Dimitri Cavaré was replaced in the 46th minute, followed by a flurry at the 69-minute mark when Saná Gomes, Yusef Mustafa Sheh, Kyle Spence and Marko Rakonjac all came on. Daniel Paraschiv, Ilay Hajaj, Liran Hazan and Samuel Owusu were among those brought off.
Maron Ghantous picked up a yellow card in the 75th minute, with Guy Deznet following six minutes later. Neither side saw a red, but the discipline was tight — six fouls from the hosts, ten from the visitors.
The statistics tell a story of efficiency over dominance. Bnei Sakhnin held 52 per cent possession and registered six shots on target, but their expected goals sat at just 0.54. Maccabi Petah-Tikva created three big chances against one, with an xG of 1.17. They didn't camp in the final third so much as pick holes when it mattered.
What it means for the table is clear enough. Maccabi Petah-Tikva move to the top of the standings with six points from two games, while Bnei Sakhnin remain in eighth place with just one point after a draw and a defeat. The gap is already opening.