Maccabi Haifa Secures 2-1 Victory Over Hapoel Petah Tikva with Goals from New Signings

Maccabi Haifa defeated Hapoel Petah Tikva 2-1 on Saturday in the third round of the Israeli Premier League, easing pressure after a recent loss to Maccabi Tel Aviv. The home team dominated the match, with new foreign signings Andrija Novakovich and Bruninho scoring impressive goals. Despite some questionable substitutions by coach Barak Bakhar that led to Hapoel Petah Tikva equalizing, Maccabi Haifa ultimately secured a deserved win.

Hapoel Petah Tikva was awarded a penalty early in the game, but Omri Glazer saved the shot from Lameck Banda. The visitors only began to pose an offensive threat in the final fifteen minutes, managing to score a beautiful equalizer, but they were unable to hold onto the point. This marks Hapoel Petah Tikva's second loss in three games.

Maccabi Haifa's new additions, Novakovich and Bruninho, proved instrumental. Novakovich opened the scoring with a header from Bruninho's cross in the 55th minute. Hapoel Petah Tikva equalized in the 78th minute through Banda after a pass from Ramzi Safi. However, Bruninho sealed the victory for Maccabi Haifa in the 85th minute with a curling shot into the corner.

The match saw some controversy, including a penalty call for Hapoel Petah Tikva after a handball, which was saved by Glazer. There were also fan protests directed at professional director Lior Refaelov and calls for substitutions, indicating underlying tension despite the win. The attendance at Sammy Ofer Stadium was 23,412.