Maccabi Haifa Dominates Hapoel Jerusalem 4-1 in League Match

Maccabi Haifa secured a decisive 4-1 victory over Hapoel Jerusalem at Teddy Stadium on Monday, marking their fourth consecutive win and propelling them to second place in the league standings, just one point behind leaders Maccabi Tel Aviv. The win came after a three-week international break and was achieved despite a protest by some Maccabi Haifa fans against the Jerusalem police.

Hapoel Jerusalem, playing their first home game of the season at Teddy Stadium, took an early lead in the 26th minute with a goal from Idoku, who capitalized on a cross. However, Maccabi Haifa quickly responded before halftime. Novakovic equalized in the 40th minute with a header from a Bruninho assist, and Barazo completed the comeback four minutes later, also assisted by Bruninho.

In the second half, Gura extended Maccabi Haifa's lead in the 67th minute with a powerful shot from the edge of the box. Substitute Guy Melamed sealed the victory in the 77th minute, scoring his first goal of the season after a brilliant through ball from Bruninho, who registered his third assist of the match. The win was Maccabi Haifa's fourth in a row, while Hapoel Jerusalem suffered a disappointing loss in their home opener.

The match saw several yellow cards, including one for Hapoel Jerusalem's Chilofia and Novakovic, and Maccabi Haifa's Saif. Hapoel Jerusalem's coach Lior Zada made multiple substitutions throughout the game, including bringing on Damascan and Daffa, while Maccabi Haifa's coach Barak Bakhar also utilized his bench, introducing players like Tsunami, Halaili, and Yarin Levi. The attendance at Teddy Stadium was 3,325.