Maccabi Netanya 3-1 Hapoel Jerusalem – Dominant Display Seals Comfortable Victory

Maccabi Netanya made a strong start in the Israel Ligat Al Toto Cup, defeating Hapoel Jerusalem 3-1 at the Netanya Stadium on 26 July 2026. The home side produced an attacking performance that underlined their ambitions in the competition.

Early Momentum Swing

Hapoel Jerusalem actually took a surprise lead in the 12th minute. A defensive mix-up in the Netanya backline allowed forward Omri Alsheikh to nip in and poke the ball past the goalkeeper. The early setback seemed to wake Maccabi Netanya up, and they responded immediately.

Within four minutes, winger Daniil Lesovoy equalised with a powerful run and shot from an angle. The goal settled home nerves, and Netanya began to dominate possession.

Second-Half Flourish

The hosts took the lead in the 33rd minute through Raz Shlomo, who headed home from a corner. That proved to be the turning point as Netanya went into half-time with a 2-1 advantage.

In the second half, Hapoel Jerusalem tried to press forward but left gaps behind. Maccabi Netanya capitalised on one such gap in the 71st minute. A long ball over the top found substitute Barak Badash, who lobbed the advancing goalkeeper with composure to make it 3-1.

Match Summary

• Possession: Maccabi Netanya 56% – 44% Hapoel Jerusalem
• Shots on target: 6 – 3
• Corners: 5 – 2
• Bookings: 2 – 3

Maccabi Netanya manager Benoit Viale was pleased with the reaction: “Going behind early is never easy, but the players showed great character. We controlled large parts of the game.” Hapoel Jerusalem will need to tighten up defensively ahead of their next Toto Cup fixture.

The result puts Maccabi Netanya level on points with other group leaders, while Hapoel Jerusalem must regroup quickly.