Maccabi Haifa Opens 2026/7 Season with Win Over Newly Promoted Hapoel Ramat Gan

Maccabi Haifa began the 2026/7 Israeli Premier League season with a victory against newly promoted Hapoel Ramat Gan on Saturday night. The match ended 2-1 in favor of Haifa, mirroring the scoreline from nearly 49 years ago when Ramat Gan last defeated Haifa in October 1977. Haifa took the lead in the 22nd minute with a stunning long-range goal by their new Brazilian midfielder, Bruninho, who doubled the lead early in the second half. Despite Ramat Gan's efforts to reduce the deficit, they could not equalize. This win marks a positive start for Haifa after a challenging Toto Cup preseason, raising questions about whether the team will embark on a new successful chapter under coach Barak Bachar or if the victory was simply due to the opponent's relative weakness.