Bnei Yehuda moved to the top of the Liga Leumit table with a 4:1 win over Maccabi Bnei Rayina in the opening round of the regular season. The visitors took control early, with S. Nachmani finding the net in the thirty-second minute after A. Kanani had given Maccabi Bnei Rayina a brief lead just five minutes in. By then the visitors were showing why they had started the campaign with three straight wins, though the hosts had their moments too.
The second half belonged to Bnei Yehuda. S. Dror made it 2:1 in the forty-eighth minute, and G. Sivilia added a third five minutes later before Nachmani completed his brace with a fifth-minute strike of the second period. The hosts looked drained, their attacking output falling away as Bnei Yehuda turned it on. To be fair, Maccabi Bnei Rayina had worked hard in the first half, but they couldn't match the visitors' tempo once the break came.
The statistics tell the story without much ambiguity. Bnei Yehuda enjoyed 59 per cent possession and registered eight shots on target compared to two from their opponents. They also generated more attacks, 94 to 80, and converted their chances with three goals from eight attempts on target. Maccabi Bnei Rayina managed only one goal from two shots on target, which is not much of a return when you consider the chances they created.
Before this match Bnei Yehuda sat top of the standings with nine points from three games, a perfect record that shows how they have set the tone for the season. Maccabi Bnei Rayina, meanwhile, had picked up just three points from three outings, with one win and two defeats. The gap between them was always likely to show itself at some point, and this was that moment.
The result leaves Bnei Yehuda four points clear at the summit, though Maccabi Bnei Rayina now sit thirteen places below with just a single victory to their name. It was not a pretty display from the hosts, who gave up the ball and hit them on the break more than once. Bnei Yehuda have the deeper squad, and by the end of the afternoon that distinction was clear for anyone watching.