Maccabi Petah Tikva Defeats Hapoel Kiryat Shmona 2-1 in Season Opener
Translated & summarized from Mako by baba
Maccabi Petah Tikva defeated Hapoel Kiryat Shmona 2-1 in the opening game of the 2026/27 Israeli Premier League season, with Samuel Owusu scoring and assisting early goals. Despite a late header from Adrian Ugurisa, Kiryat Shmona could not equalize, and Maccabi Petah Tikva celebrated a strong season start at home.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Maccabi Petah Tikva won 2-1 against Hapoel Kiryat Shmona in the league opener.
- Samuel Owusu scored the first goal and assisted the second for Maccabi Petah Tikva.
- Owusu improved on last season’s four goals with a standout performance.
- Hapoel Kiryat Shmona conceded two early goals due to defensive lapses.
- Adrian Ugurisa scored a late header to reduce the deficit for Kiryat Shmona.
- Maccabi Petah Tikva showed promise under new coach Ziv Arie in their Premier League return.
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.
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