Maccabi Haifa Kicks Off 2026/27 Season with 2-1 Win Over Hapoel Ramat Gan

The 2026/27 Israeli Premier League season began on Saturday with three dramatic matches featuring impressive goals and controversial refereeing decisions. Maccabi Haifa opened their campaign with a 2-1 home victory against Hapoel Ramat Gan at Sammy Ofer Stadium. Brazilian midfielder Bronninio starred by scoring two goals, including a stunning strike from outside the box in the 22nd minute and a quick second goal early in the second half. Despite Ramat Gan's efforts and a goal by Maksim Plakuschenko in the 61st minute, Haifa held on. A late penalty awarded after a lengthy VAR review was missed by Maccabi Haifa’s Eitan Azulai, who was denied by goalkeeper Amit Reif. The win was celebrated by 23,805 fans ahead of their next match against Maccabi Tel Aviv.

In another match, Maccabi Petah Tikva returned to the top division with a 2-1 win over Ironi Kiryat Shmona at the Shlomo Insurance Stadium. Samuel Owusu was the standout player, scoring the opening goal in the 12th minute and assisting Marco Rekoniatz for the second goal in the 23rd minute. Kiryat Shmona’s Adrian Ugrisa scored a late goal in the 79th minute but it was not enough to avoid defeat. Coach Shai Berda watched from the stands due to suspension.

Ironi Tiberias secured a crucial 1-0 victory against Hapoel Petah Tikva, helping reduce their points deduction from six to three. Itamar Shabiro scored the winning penalty in the 61st minute. The match featured a controversial moment in the 86th minute when a goal by Frank Ribolié for the visitors was disallowed after a VAR review citing an offside involving a player named Shavit Mazal. Hapoel Petah Tikva suffered their fifth consecutive loss across all competitions. These opening fixtures set an intense tone for the new season in Israeli football.