Beitar Jerusalem Suffers Heavy 4-1 Defeat to Maccabi Netanya in Season Opener

Beitar Jerusalem, last season's runner-up, began the 2026/7 Israeli Premier League season with a humiliating 4-1 loss to Maccabi Netanya at Bloomfield Stadium, their temporary home. The team did not play in the first round due to scheduling conflicts with Hapoel Tel Aviv's European matches, postponing their opener to face Netanya in the second round on Saturday night.

From the start, the quality gap between the teams was evident. Despite Netanya missing four clear chances in the first half, the score remained 0-0 at halftime. Beitar scored early in the second half, but Netanya quickly responded with a hat-trick from Brazilian striker Matias Dabo and an additional goal by Maor Levi, overturning the score and dominating the match.

Netanya, which had only won twice in the last 11 encounters against Beitar, avenged their historic 8-2 defeat last season. Beitar, considered a title contender, opened the season with a loss reminiscent of the 2022/23 season when they also lost 4-1 to Netanya. This disappointing start contrasts with their previous two seasons, which began with victories.

Other Jerusalem teams also struggled in the second round: Hapoel Jerusalem lost 1-0 to Hapoel Petah Tikva, while Ironi Tiberias was defeated 2-0 by Kiryat Shmona. Fans of Beitar Jerusalem had hoped for a stronger start to the new season, but the heavy defeat raises concerns about the team's readiness and coaching under Almog Cohen, who is inexperienced in his role.