Hapoel Tel Aviv Wins Tense Match Amidst VAR Controversy and Player Absences

Hapoel Tel Aviv secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Ironi Tiberias on Saturday, with Omri Altman scoring the decisive penalty. The win was complicated by an early red card in the fourth minute for Adrian Criev, reducing the team to ten players. Despite the numerical disadvantage, Hapoel Tel Aviv felt they were the superior team throughout the match, a sentiment echoed by club officials who praised the players' effort in compensating for the absence.

The club accepted the referee's decision to send off Criev, noting it would simplify future squad selections regarding foreign players. However, Hapoel Tel Aviv expressed dissatisfaction with the VAR's decision to overturn a penalty initially awarded to them. "We deserved a penalty, it's just hard to go against VAR. We won't make noise because luckily we won in the end, but it was more of a penalty than the one that was awarded," stated sources within the club. The penalty that was ultimately given was confirmed by player Koko, who insisted he was fouled by Ido Sharon.

Player Sstav Turiel was notably absent from the starting lineup for the second consecutive game, despite being fit. While his absence last week was due to an injury that affected his training, this week's decision was reportedly a professional one by coach Eliniv Brada, stemming from dissatisfaction with Turiel's performance as a substitute in the previous match. However, his improved performance in the current game might see him return to the starting eleven.

Additionally, Emmanuel Boateng is a doubt for the upcoming match against Hapoel Jerusalem due to a severe facial injury sustained during the game, which required him to be stretchered off. He was seen with a swollen eye after the match. Lucas Falcao was also not in the squad, but reportedly understood the decision, with teammates acknowledging the team's strong roster and the rotation of players.