Full Breakdown
Hapoel Haifa Edges Hapoel Tel Aviv 4-3 in Action-Packed Friendly
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Match Summary
In a high-scoring friendly held in Bat Yam, Hapoel Haifa rallied from a 0-4 deficit to secure a 4-3 victory over Hapoel Tel Aviv. The home side opened the scoring in the third minute, added a penalty before halftime, and extended the lead with goals in the 54th and 59th minutes, establishing a four-goal cushion. Tel Aviv responded with a penalty in the 65th minute, a strike in the 73rd, and a header in the 84th, but could not overturn the deficit before the final whistle.
Earlier Encounters and Scheduling Context
The two clubs previously met early in the season, producing a goalless draw at Sammy Ofer Stadium. Both teams missed the opening round of the Premier League because of concurrent European qualifiers: Hapoel Tel Aviv was engaged in a Conference League tie against Atalanta, while Hapoel Haifa’s schedule was affected by Hapoel Beersheba’s Champions League qualifiers. Those postponements resulted in each side earning a point from the earlier 0-0 match.
Player Availability
Hapoel Tel Aviv entered the friendly without several regulars, including injured midfielder Stav Toriel and a group of internationals—Assaf Tzur, Dor Benyamini, Roee Alkokin, Mor Buskila, Daniel Dapaah, Andrian Kraev, and Yannick Leliendal. Hapoel Haifa was also missing three players: forward William Agada, midfielder Ariel Mendy, and defender Cheick Keita. The report listed Tel Aviv’s starting lineup as Ben Sorensen, Marcus Coco, Tal Archel, Fernan Mayembo, Doron Leidner, Lucas Falcao, El-Yam Kancepolsky, Yonatan Ferber, Amit Lemkin, Roy Korine, and Emmanuel Boateng.
Match Details and Statistics
- Goals for Hapoel Haifa: Sali Fahima (3´), Alon Turgeman (pen, 45´), Noam Cohen (54´), Cheickna Diakite (59´).
- Goals for Hapoel Tel Aviv: Omri Altman (pen, 65´), Anas Mahamid (73´), Chico (header, 84´).
- Lead Changes: Haifa led 4-0 before Tel Aviv’s comeback reduced the margin to 4-3.
- Attendance: Not specified in the source.
Significance
The friendly demonstrated Haifa’s resilience after falling far behind and highlighted Tel Aviv’s depth challenges due to injuries and international duties. Both clubs used the match to regain match fitness ahead of the upcoming Premier League fixtures.