Maccabi Haifa's Poor Record Against Top Teams Contrasts With Dominance Over Others
Translated & summarized from N12 by baba
Maccabi Haifa has lost three consecutive matches against top championship contenders, including a recent 2-1 defeat to Hapoel Tel Aviv. The team's performance shows a stark contrast, with zero points earned against top rivals compared to a perfect record against other league teams. Coach Barak Bakhar's overall record against 'big clubs' since his return is poor, with only 28.2% of possible points secured. The team faces another match against Beitar Jerusalem before the end of the first round.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Maccabi Haifa lost 2-1 to Hapoel Tel Aviv, marking their third loss to a top contender.
- The team has earned 0 points from 9 against top rivals, but 18 points from 18 against others.
- Coach Barak Bakhar's record against top teams is 28.2% of possible points since his return.
- Maccabi Haifa's recent losses include 3-1 to Maccabi Tel Aviv and 5-2 to Hapoel Be'er Sheva.
- The team will play Beitar Jerusalem again before the end of the first round.
Maccabi Haifa suffered their third loss to a championship contender this season, falling 2-1 to Hapoel Tel Aviv on Monday. This defeat, following a 5-2 loss to Hapoel Be'er Sheva the previous week, complicates the team's standing under coach Barak Bakhar, who had led the league just last month. The stark difference in performance between games against top rivals and weaker opponents under Bakhar has been significant. Against the league's top teams, Maccabi Haifa has earned zero points out of a possible nine, with a goal difference of 10-4, resulting in a 0% success rate. Conversely, against all other teams, they have secured 18 points from 18 possible, a perfect 100% success rate with a goal difference of 17-6.
This latest loss is another painful blow for Bakhar, part of a difficult streak against teams considered 'big clubs'. The article details Bakhar's return to Maccabi Haifa for a second tenure in the summer of 2024, his subsequent dismissal in May 2025 after a derby loss, and his return for a third stint in October after Diego Flores was fired. Since returning from Red Star Belgrade, Bakhar's record against other top teams includes 5 losses, a draw, and a win against Maccabi Tel Aviv (4 points from 21), 4 losses, a draw, and 2 wins against Beitar Jerusalem (7 points from 21), 4 losses, 2 draws, and a win against Hapoel Be'er Sheva (5 points from 21), and 2 wins and 3 losses against Hapoel Tel Aviv (6 points from 15).
Overall, since Bakhar's return, the team has accumulated 22 points out of a possible 78 across 26 games against these top rivals, with 16 losses, 4 draws, and 6 wins, a mere 28.2% success rate. This season alone, Bakhar's record against the top three teams stands at 0 points from 9, after losses to Maccabi Tel Aviv (3-1), Hapoel Be'er Sheva (5-2), and Hapoel Tel Aviv (2-1). Maccabi Haifa is scheduled to play Beitar Jerusalem again before the end of the first round.
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