Hapoel Be'er Sheva Stuns Maccabi Haifa 5-2, Maccabi Tel Aviv Takes League Lead

Hapoel Be'er Sheva secured a dramatic 5-2 victory over Maccabi Haifa at Sammy Ofer Stadium on Monday, scoring three goals in a six-minute span between the 50th and 56th minutes. This explosive period transformed the match, erasing a lackluster first half for Be'er Sheva and leaving Haifa with no chance of a comeback. The win propelled Be'er Sheva to third place in the league standings, while Haifa dropped from first to fourth.

Maccabi Tel Aviv capitalized on Haifa's loss, returning to the top of the league with 20 points, one point ahead of second-place Hapoel Tel Aviv and Be'er Sheva. In the first half, despite balanced possession, Haifa was the more dangerous team, with only strong saves from goalkeeper Ofir Marciano preventing them from taking the lead.

However, Haifa's momentum vanished after halftime. Igor Zlatanovic opened the scoring for Be'er Sheva in the 50th minute, followed by a goal from Djibril Diop four minutes later. The match was effectively decided when Noam Steifman fouled Javon East in the box, resulting in a penalty and a red card for the Haifa defender. Zlatanovic converted the penalty, giving Be'er Sheva a three-goal cushion and a numerical advantage.

Haifa attempted a comeback, earning a penalty in the 60th minute after Pedro Amador fouled Pedro Brazão. However, Bruninho's penalty was saved by Marciano, preserving Be'er Sheva's lead. Adam Greenberg pulled one back for Haifa in the 75th minute, but Be'er Sheva quickly responded with a goal from Forson Amankwah two minutes later. An own goal by Greenberg in the 82nd minute extended Be'er Sheva's lead to 5-1, and Greenberg scored his second goal of the match, this time into his own net, in stoppage time to seal the 5-2 final score.