TEL AVIV, Israel (Interstat) — Hapoel Tel Aviv opened its Liga Bet season with a commanding 2-0 victory over Maccabi Netanya on Saturday at Bloomfield Stadium, a result that aligned closely with pre-match projections but required patience to secure.

The match, played before a home crowd on Jan. 31, 2026, saw the hosts dominate possession and chances but struggle to find a breakthrough until the final 25 minutes. The visitors from Netanya organized a resilient defensive effort for much of the contest, but ultimately could not withstand the sustained pressure from a deep and creative Hapoel side.

The deadlock was finally broken in the 65th minute. The sequence involved a series of precise passes, with the assist credited to midfielder Andrian Kraev, who found forward Roy Korine in a dangerous position. Korine made no mistake with his finish, slotting the ball home to give Hapoel Tel Aviv a 1-0 lead and relieve the growing tension in the stadium.

Rather than sit back, Hapoel continued to press for a second goal to seal the result. It arrived just two minutes from full time in the 88th minute. This time, the buildup featured substitute Aziz Ouattara, who delivered the key pass to midfielder Amit Lemkin. Lemkin’s strike doubled the advantage and effectively ended any lingering hopes of a Netanya comeback.

The match was a physical and often fractious affair, particularly as it progressed. The officiating crew issued 10 yellow cards throughout the 90 minutes, with the majority distributed in the second half and a flurry coming in stoppage time. Netanya’s Aziz Ouattara received the first booking in the 34th minute. Hapoel players Xande Silva, Marcus Coco and Liran Rotman were also cautioned, along with Netanya’s Itay Ben Shabat and Rotem Keller. A chaotic sequence in added time saw four more yellows shown, to Netanya’s Karm Jaber and Oz Bilu, and Hapoel’s Heriberto Tavares and Andrian Kraev.

The victory provides a perfect start to the Liga Bet campaign for Hapoel Tel Aviv, which improves its record to one win and no losses in the competition and across all competitions this season. For Maccabi Netanya, the defeat marks a disappointing beginning, leaving them with a record of no wins and one loss both in the league and overall.

The final scoreline matched the general expectation, though it exceeded the specific goal output predicted by statistical models. Interstat’s game simulator had projected a 1-0 victory for the hosts, while its ELO rating system gave Hapoel Tel Aviv an 89.40 percent probability of winning the match. The two-goal margin, fueled by late offensive efficiency, underscored Hapoel’s quality and depth, with significant contributions coming from both starters and substitutes in the victory.