Maccabi Haifa Suffers 3-0 Defeat to Ironi Kiryat Shmona in Toto Cup Match

Maccabi Haifa's disappointing start to the season continued on Tuesday as they were soundly defeated 3-0 by Ironi Kiryat Shmona in the second round of the Toto Cup. Following a loss to Hapoel Haifa in the derby, the team led by Barak Bachar and Lior Rafaelov hoped to recover and calm tensions, but again delivered a poor performance, drawing boos from their fans during the match.

Kiryat Shmona, playing their first game of the season, took the lead early in the seventh minute when Niv Gabay, on loan from Maccabi Haifa, intercepted the ball and assisted Nigel Lonwijk to score past goalkeeper Omri Glazer. The troubles for Haifa worsened in the 22nd minute due to a collision between goalkeeper Glazer and defender Tsunami, allowing Amadou Sagna to double the lead.

Glazer was forced off the field in tears due to injury sustained during the second goal, with Tsunami also substituted. In the 33rd minute, Ariel Sharcaki capitalized on a lost ball near the box to score a stunning third goal, completing a dominant half for Kiryat Shmona. Despite some attempts to respond, including chances by Bruninho, Haifa struggled to threaten Kiryat Shmona's goalkeeper Daniel Tenenbaum.

The lineups featured Glazer replaced by Glen Alwin for Haifa, and Tenenbaum starting for Kiryat Shmona. The defeat marks a troubling continuation of Maccabi Haifa's poor form early in the season, raising concerns about their prospects moving forward.