Maccabi Petah Tikva Defeats Hapoel Kiryat Shmona 2-1 in Season Opener

Maccabi Petah Tikva secured a 2-1 victory over Hapoel Kiryat Shmona in the opening match of the 2026/27 Israeli Premier League season on Saturday at the Shlomo Biton Stadium. Samuel Owusu was the standout player, scoring the opening goal in the 12th minute with a spectacular curling shot and later assisting Marco Rekonjac for the second goal in the 23rd minute. Owusu, who had scored only four goals in the previous season in the second division, impressed with his performance in the top flight opener.

Hapoel Kiryat Shmona, coming off a strong Toto Cup campaign that ended in a late semifinal loss to Hapoel Tel Aviv, struggled defensively and appeared disorganized, allowing Maccabi Petah Tikva to penetrate their defense easily. Although Kiryat Shmona managed to create some chances, their finishing was lacking. Adrian Ugurisa, the league's second top scorer last season who remained with Kiryat Shmona, scored a consolation goal in the 79th minute with a powerful header from a cross by substitute Ido Weir. Despite some late pressure, Kiryat Shmona could not equalize, and the match ended 2-1 in favor of the hosts.

Maccabi Petah Tikva, under new coach Ziv Arie and with several new signings, showed a promising start to their return to the Premier League. The win in the first round sets a positive tone for their campaign, while Kiryat Shmona will look to improve their defensive organization moving forward.