Maccabi Rishon LeZion Wins City Derby Against Hapoel Rishon LeZion

Maccabi Rishon LeZion secured a decisive 32:27 victory over Hapoel Rishon LeZion in the first city derby of the season, held at Nechlat Yehuda. The win marks an impressive eighth consecutive victory across all competitions for Maccabi Holon, who also defeated Hapoel Ashdod 38:26. In other matches, Bnei Herzliya achieved their first win of the season, overpowering Ironi Rehovot 43:28, while the reigning champions, AS Ramat Hasharon, comfortably beat Beer Sheva 36:22. The previous day saw Hapoel Arad achieve their first-ever top-league win, defeating Nes Ziona 31:29 away, and newly promoted Maccabi Kiryat Motzkin also celebrated their maiden victory of the season, winning 32:29 against Hapoel Kiryat Ono.

The derby match was closely contested in the first half, with Maccabi Rishon LeZion leading 18:16 at halftime. Hapoel Rishon LeZion managed to equalize at 18:18 early in the second half and even took a brief lead. However, Maccabi Rishon LeZion, led by Yirmi Sidi with 12 goals and Lidor Pesso with 9, regained control. Goalkeeper Dan Tepper made crucial saves, and Maccabi Rishon LeZion ultimately sealed the win with a final score of 32:27.

In the match between Maccabi Holon and Hapoel Ashdod, Holon extended their winning streak to eight games. Despite a close start, Holon pulled away in the second half, with Or Levi scoring 12 goals. The game was marked by a red card shown to Uroš Todorović of Ashdod early on.

AS Ramat Hasharon, the champions, demonstrated their strength against Beer Sheva, leading 21:11 at halftime and finishing with a comfortable 36:22 victory. Amit Motola was a top scorer for Ramat Hasharon with 8 goals. Bnei Herzliya's first win came in a high-scoring affair against Ironi Rehovot, with Niv Tzuraf netting 8 goals for Herzliya.