Match Report
On paper the standings were lopsided — Hapoel Petah Tikva 2nd with 71 points, Maccabi Herzliya 5th with 51, 20 apart. Recent form told a different story for Maccabi Herzliya: only 23rd in the league over the last five rounds despite sitting 5th. Per game in the league, Maccabi Herzliya were scoring 1.24 and conceding 1.73, Hapoel Petah Tikva 1.73 and 0.63, against a competition average of 1.33 goals per team per game.
Hapoel Petah Tikva carried a 15-game unbeaten run into this.
Across 4 recorded meetings, Maccabi Herzliya have 0 wins to Hapoel Petah Tikva's 4, with 0 draws, at 3.25 goals per meeting. The pattern favours whoever hosts: home teams have won 75% of the meetings. Three-plus goals is the norm here, arriving in 75% of the meetings, and both sides scored in 75%.
Yankele Grundman Stadium in Ramat-ha’Sharon staged the fixture, a ground that holds 4,300. Hapoel Petah Tikva led 1-0 at the break, and the second half added 2 goals for the 0-3 full-time score.