Match Report
On paper the standings were lopsided — Maccabi Petah Tikva 1st with 60 points, Bnei Yehuda 7th with 44, 16 apart. The last five rounds placed Maccabi Petah Tikva no better than 6th for form, against 1st in the standings. In league terms the two rates read 2.23/1.07 for Maccabi Petah Tikva and 1.13/1.23 for Bnei Yehuda (scored/conceded per game); the competition average is 1.34.
Defeat had not touched Bnei Yehuda in 5 games, having scored in 15 consecutive games.
7 previous meetings sit in the GioScore records — Maccabi Petah Tikva 4, draws 2, Bnei Yehuda 1, at 4 goals per meeting. The host's record in this fixture is thin — 29% of meetings won. The fixture leans high-scoring: 71% of meetings brought at least three goals, and both sides scored in 71%.
The venue was HaMoshava Stadium, with room for 11,500 spectators. On the scoreboard, Maccabi Petah Tikva led 1-0 at the break; 3 second-half goals set the final 2-2.