Beitar Jerusalem and Kiryat Shmona Draw Blank in First Half
Translated & summarized from Ynet by baba
Beitar Jerusalem and Ironi Kiryat Shmona played to a scoreless first half in their Israeli Premier League match at Teddy Stadium. Beitar, aiming for second place, faced a struggling Kiryat Shmona team deep in the relegation zone. The game was notable as the first afternoon league match of the season, with some players taking measures to avoid violating Shabbat. Both teams' starting lineups were announced.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Beitar Jerusalem and Ironi Kiryat Shmona were tied 0-0 at halftime.
- The match was the first afternoon league game of the season.
- Beitar Jerusalem sought to climb to second place in the league standings.
- Ironi Kiryat Shmona is currently in the relegation zone with six consecutive losses.
- Some players rented nearby apartments to avoid violating Shabbat.
The ninth week of the Israeli Premier League kicked off with four matches, including a highly anticipated game between Beitar Jerusalem and Ironi Kiryat Shmona at Teddy Stadium. This marked the first league game of the season played in the afternoon, drawing an estimated 20,000 fans despite ongoing protests about the timing. To avoid violating Shabbat, coach Almog Cohen and several players reportedly rented apartments near the stadium.
Beitar Jerusalem, currently fifth in the standings with 16 points, aimed to capitalize on their recent momentum after a 1-0 victory over Hapoel Petah Tikva. A win would have placed them second, at least temporarily, four points behind league leaders Maccabi Tel Aviv. The team, coached by Almog Cohen, has secured five wins in their last six league matches, with their only slip-up being a 0-0 draw against Maccabi Tel Aviv. Despite concerns about their attacking performance in the previous game, the club was pleased with three consecutive clean sheets.
In contrast, Ironi Kiryat Shmona, coached by Shi Barda, is struggling below the relegation zone, sitting 13th with only 3 points and enduring a six-game losing streak. The team was desperately seeking to halt their slide and secure a rare second win of the season.
Historically, Kiryat Shmona's last point at Teddy Stadium was in a dramatic 3-3 draw in May 2024, which included an eight-minute power outage. Their last away victory against Beitar Jerusalem dates back to May 2015, when Ahmad Abed scored the winning goal in a 1-0 match.
Lineups for the match included Jonbosko Kalu starting over Sean Weissman for Beitar, with Yarden Shua moving to forward. Adi Yona was given his first start of the season, while Muzi played left-back and Eugene Ansa was out of the squad. For Kiryat Shmona, Nemanja Ljubisavljevic returned to the starting lineup, and Gabay started up front. Beitar Jerusalem's lineup featured Miguel Silva, Timothy Muzi, Bryan Carvelli, Luka Gadrani, Nana Antwi, Boris Ino, Alexis Serana, Adi Yona, Omer Atzili, Yarden Shua, and Jonbosko Kalu. Kiryat Shmona's lineup included Daniel Tenenbaum, Ovadia Dervish, Shi Ben David, Nemanja Ljubisavljevic, Bilal Shahin, Nadav Markovitch, Talis Costa, Alexander Sola, Shi Sabach, Amadou Sagna, and Niv Gabay.
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