Maccabi Tel Aviv beat Maccabi Haifa 3:1 in the second round of the Ligat ha-Al on Sunday evening. D. Peretz opened the scoring with a penalty after fourteen minutes before adding a second forty minutes in. O. Davida made it three with a goal in the seventy-second minute, while E. Azoulay pulled one back from the spot late on.
Peretz's first effort came from the spot, and he doubled his tally shortly after the break. Tel Aviv controlled the tempo by then, though Haifa kept their shape and looked for chances on the counter. Davida's strike at the hour-and-twelve mark sealed the lead and changed the mood in the stadium.
Haifa refused to go quietly. Azoulay worked his way into the box and won a penalty, converting it in the eighty-eighth minute to give his side a glimmer of hope. Tel Aviv simply held their ground and saw out the remaining minutes without panic.
The statistics tell a familiar story: Haifa enjoyed more possession at 53 per cent and launched 71 attacks compared to 66, but their shots lacked precision. They recorded three shots on target against five off target, while Tel Aviv hit the mark seven times with only five wide. Expected goals favoured the hosts at 1.97 to 1.75, and the result reflected that efficiency gap.
Both sides sit on three points after one game, Tel Aviv third and Haifa fifth in the table. The margin between them remains narrow, but the Tel Aviv performance suggests they will make life awkward for anyone they face this season.
