Hapoel Petah Tikva Secures First Win of Season with 1-0 Victory Over Hapoel Jerusalem

Hapoel Petah Tikva earned their first victory of the 2026/27 season on Saturday night, defeating Hapoel Jerusalem 1-0. The match took place after two rounds of league play, with Petah Tikva finally breaking their winless streak while Jerusalem remained without points. Karim Kimbidi was the standout player, scoring the only goal in the 14th minute after receiving a pass from Frank Riboliya and firing a powerful shot that slightly deflected off the Jerusalem defense.

The first half ended with Petah Tikva leading 1-0. In the second half, Hapoel Jerusalem showed some improvement and controlled the pace but failed to create significant scoring chances. A key moment came in the 80th minute when substitute Israel Dafa was brought down in the penalty area. Referee David Fuchsman initially did not call a penalty but consulted the VAR system for nearly three minutes before deciding against awarding a penalty.

The match concluded with Petah Tikva maintaining their 1-0 lead. Coach Omer Peretz’s team displayed better overall play and can take encouragement from Kimbidi’s performance and the team’s first win. Meanwhile, Hapoel Jerusalem, coached by Lior Zada, faces continued struggles after two consecutive losses and no points, needing to find solutions to improve their offensive production going forward.