The energy at Turner Stadium last night was something else. You could practically feel the humidity and the nerves clashing as Hapoel Be'er Sheva fans realized their six-game winning streak might actually be more than just a lucky run. This isn't the same league we saw three years ago. If you think the Israeli Premier League games are just a two-horse race between the big Maccabi clubs, you’ve been looking at the wrong table.
Honestly, the 2025–2026 season has been a bit of a fever dream. We’ve seen Hapoel Be'er Sheva drop a 7–0 hammer on Ironi Tiberias back in August, and yet, they still find themselves neck-and-neck with a resurgent Beitar Jerusalem. It's weird. It's chaotic. And it's exactly what Israeli football needed to shake off the predictability.
Why the "Big Two" dominance is a myth right now
For years, the script was written in stone: Maccabi Tel Aviv and Maccabi Haifa fight for the plate, everyone else fights for the scraps. But look at the standings as of mid-January 2026. Beitar Jerusalem, led by the tactical discipline that has seen them win five on the trot recently, is sitting right there at the top with 42 points. They are tied with Be'er Sheva.
Maccabi Tel Aviv is actually trailing.
It’s not that the yellow-and-blue have been "bad"—they actually went nine games without losing earlier in the season—it’s just that the middle of the pack got meaner. You see teams like Hapoel Petah Tikva, who were just in the second division last year, coming out and thumping Maccabi Bnei Reineh 6–1 on the road. That kind of scoreline used to be reserved for the giants. Now? Anyone can get embarrassed on a Saturday night.
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The Barak Bakhar effect and the Haifa struggle
Maccabi Haifa made a massive move in October 2025, bringing back Barak Bakhar to replace Diego Flores. Bakhar is basically the "Special One" of Israel, but even he hasn't found the magic wand yet. Haifa is sitting in 4th, looking up at a 13-point gap between them and the leaders.
The January 11th clash at Sammy Ofer was a perfect example of this season's insanity. Haifa managed to claw out a 3–2 win over Maccabi Tel Aviv, but it was a scrap. They didn't win because of superior style; they won because they survived an 88th-minute banger from outside the box. It narrows the gap, sure, but the consistency just isn't there like it was in the early 2020s.
The players actually making Israeli Premier League games watchable
If you aren't watching Dan Biton right now, you’re missing the best individual season in recent memory. He’s already bagged 12 goals for Hapoel Be'er Sheva. He’s playing with a level of confidence that makes him look like he’s playing against kids sometimes.
Then there's the assist race. Dia Saba is doing Dia Saba things—14 assists and 16 goals. It’s a joke, really. He and Guy Melamed (who has already hit the 20-goal mark, by the way) are the reason the "over 2.5 goals" bet is becoming a staple for anyone following these matches. The league is averaging 3.19 goals per game. That is incredibly high for a league that used to be known for "parking the bus" and hoping for a 1-0 counter-attack.
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Foreign talent vs. homegrown grit
The rules changed. Teams can now carry eight foreign players. This has fundamentally shifted the quality of the mid-table Israeli Premier League games. Look at SC Ashdod or even Hapoel Jerusalem; they aren't just relying on local veterans anymore. They are scouting the Balkans and West Africa with much more precision.
- Lucas Ventura at Be'er Sheva is currently bossing midfields with an 8.2 match rating.
- Kings Kangwa is providing that creative spark that Be'er Sheva lacked for two seasons.
- Miguel Silva at Beitar remains one of the most underrated keepers in the region.
The "January Trap" and the relegation dogfight
While everyone is obsessed with who lifts the trophy in May, the bottom of the table is a horror show. Maccabi Bnei Reineh is in a tailspin. Nine losses in a row. Eleven games without a win. If you’re a fan, it’s painful. They’ve conceded 45 goals in 18 games. That’s nearly three goals every time they step on the pitch.
The pressure is causing heads to roll. Just this week, we saw Yossi Abukasis out at Maccabi Netanya and Haim Silvas sacked by Ashdod. It’s the "January Trap"—owners panic because they see the Relegation Round looming. Benyamin Lam has taken over as interim at Netanya, but honestly, unless they find a way to stop conceding in the final fifteen minutes of games, a manager change is just moving deck chairs on the Titanic.
Upcoming games to circle on your calendar
The schedule for the next two weeks is brutal. If you want to see where the title is actually going, watch these:
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- January 18, 2026: Maccabi Haifa vs. Maccabi Tel Aviv. This is the big one. If Tel Aviv loses, their title hopes are basically on life support.
- January 24, 2026: Maccabi Netanya vs. Maccabi Haifa. A desperate Netanya under a new (interim) boss vs. a Haifa team trying to prove the Bakhar era is back.
- January 26, 2026: The Tel Aviv Derby. Maccabi vs. Hapoel. Form doesn't matter here. It’s just pure, unadulterated chaos.
Navigating the logistics of the league
If you're actually planning to attend one of these games, keep in mind that the average attendance has shot up to over 10,000 this season. Beitar Jerusalem vs. Netanya pulled nearly 30,000 people to Teddy Stadium earlier this year. It's not a "show up and buy a ticket at the gate" league anymore for the big fixtures.
The league has also become much more data-driven. You’ll see teams like Hapoel Jerusalem using advanced GPS tracking and psychological support systems that were unheard of five years ago. This is why the gap between the "rich" and the "rest" is closing. It's not just about who has the biggest budget; it's about who is using their data to keep players healthy through the grueling winter schedule.
What you should do next if you're following the league
Don't just look at the raw points. The Israeli Premier League games are currently decided by who handles the "Championship Round" pressure. Since the top six teams break off into their own mini-league at the end of the regular season, a 10-point lead in January can vanish by April.
Watch the yellow card counts for key defenders like Miguel Vítor or Tyrese Asante. With the intensity of the games increasing, suspensions are going to play a massive role in the final standings. If you're looking for value, keep an eye on Hapoel Petah Tikva. They are the "draw kings" right now, but their ability to snatch points from the top four is going to decide who actually wins the league.
Check the injury reports for the Tel Aviv Derby on the 26th. If Maccabi Tel Aviv's frontline isn't at 100%, Hapoel Tel Aviv—who have been quietly climbing the table under Elyaniv Barda—might just pull off the upset of the season.
To stay ahead of the curve, monitor the "Minutes Played" stats for the older veterans. The league is getting faster, and the teams that aren't rotating their squads effectively right now are the ones that will crumble once the playoffs begin in March.