New Signing Eric Bille Expected to Start for Hapoel Petah Tikva

Hapoel Petah Tikva, who reached the upper playoff last season with an attractive attacking style, has had a disappointing start to the current campaign. Over 60% of the players who participated in the team's training camp are no longer with the club under coach Omer Peretz. However, Peretz has made several changes during the transfer window that could improve the team's performance.

One significant addition is Ivorian player Eric Bille, who signed just days ago. He is expected to debut in Peretz's starting lineup due to injuries to Frank Rivollier and the departure of Shavit Mazal. Peretz is considering a return to a four-man defense but plans to maintain tactical flexibility during matches.

Additionally, Tomer Altman will miss the game with a calf strain. However, Roey Levi, who joined from Hapoel Beer Sheva, is included in the squad. Levi reportedly stated that Alona Barkat, owner of Hapoel Beer Sheva, covered his salary, which facilitated his move. Peretz will decide after the final training session whether to exclude Guy Badash, the team's highest earner, or give him another opportunity.

Hapoel Petah Tikva anticipates a highly motivated opponent in Hapoel Tel Aviv, who are under pressure after a derby loss to Maccabi Tel Aviv and will be without their recent standout player, Stav Tzuriel. "We are looking at the opponent, but if we don't focus on ourselves, we won't get points," stated a club representative.

The projected starting lineup includes Omer Katz, Avishai Cohen, Diego Arroyo, Alex Musonda, Yazan Nasser, Boni Ameen, Itay Ehud (Edmund Asante), Roey David, Karim Kimvudi, Klay, and Eric Bille.