Maccabi Haifa hit the heights

Maccabi Haifa FC remain the only side yet to drop points in the Israeli Premier League, after Maccabi Tel-Aviv have slipped off the title pace.

Surprise defeat
M. Tel-Aviv had been level at the top with M. Haifa after wins against Beitar Jerusalem FC and city rivals Hapoel Tel-Aviv, only for Nir Klinger's side to then suffer an unexpected 1-0 defeat at Hapoel Kfar-Saba FC - whose win was their first league success of the season. As a result, Maccabi Haifa are the only team to have maintained a perfect start to the season with three wins from three games, including a 3-2 defeat of last season's runner's-up Maccabi Petach-Tikva FC.

Fightback fails
Goals from Yaniv Katan, Gustavo Boccoli and Roberto Colautti gave the reigning champions a 3-0 lead at half-time and, although Maccabi Petach-Tikva scored twice after the interval, it was not enough to stop them falling to their first loss of the campaign. However, they recovered from that result with victory against Hapoel Bnei Sakhnin FC to move them up to fourth, level on six points with Maccabi Tel-Aviv.

Hapoel hit back
Yet it is Hapoel Tel-Aviv who currently hold second position on goal difference following wins against Bnei Yehuda Tel-Aviv FC and Maccabi Netanya FC either side of that defeat to their Tel-Aviv neighbours. FC Ashdod also have six points from three games but lie fifth with an inferior goal difference to their counterparts.

Takeover drama
Beitar have had a turbulent start to the new campaign. Coach Eli Ohana resigned after their opening day defeat to Maccabi Tel-Aviv due to the attempted takeover of the club by Arkady Gaidamak. Ohana's assistant Guy Azuzi has since taken the helm temporarily, winning his first game 3-2 against newly-promoted Maccabi Netanya before a 1-0 loss against leaders Maccabi Haifa in a game where Omri Afek, a free transfer signing from Real Racing Club Santander, made his debut.

Possible replacements
However, Gaidamak, whose takeover bid has now received approval from the Israel Football Association, is in no rush to appoint a successor to Ohana, with assistant Guy Azuri in temporary charge. National team coach Avraham Grant and Israel's U-21 coach Guy Levy have both been touted as possible candidates, as has Itzhak Shum, who recently left Russian side FC Alania Vladikavkaz. At Bnei Sakhnin FC, meanwhile, former Hapoel Beer-Sheva FC coach Lufa Kadosh has replaced Momi Za'afran following the latter's dismissal at the weekend.