Hapoel Kiryat Shmona Faces Hapoel Haifa With Key Midfielder Suspended

Hapoel Kiryat Shmona is set to host Hapoel Haifa on Saturday, aiming to secure a victory after a seven-game winless streak. The team is buoyed by a recent 1-1 draw against Beitar Jerusalem, where a late penalty secured a point, despite the penalty call later being deemed incorrect. Coach Shi Brada expressed satisfaction with the team's performance and fighting spirit in the previous match, which he hopes to see replicated against Hapoel Haifa.

Brada will be forced to make at least one change to his lineup due to the suspension of midfielder Alex Sola, who accumulated five yellow cards. Sola has been a valuable player for the team, and his absence will likely see Ofir Benvenisti step into the midfield alongside Tales Costa and either Nadav Markovich or Ariel Shertsky.

The last encounter between these two clubs in August, during the Toto Cup, resulted in a 1-3 victory for Kiryat Shmona, who advanced to the semi-finals. Goals for Kiryat Shmona in that match were scored by Adrian Ugrysa, Ariel Shertsky, and Shi Sabach.

"We have prepared very well this week for the game against Hapoel Haifa," said Brada. "I think this is a type of game where we must be focused and concentrated to achieve our goals. We need to know how to take the points in this game and go into the break with a good feeling. It's a difficult game, but again, we are looking at ourselves and what's important for us is to accumulate points."