Alkukin’s Late Winner Sends Hapoel Tel Aviv Top With 1–0 Victory at Be’er Sheva

Hapoel Tel Aviv moved to the top of the Israeli Premier League after beating Hapoel Be’er Sheva 1–0 at Toto Turner Stadium on Sunday, November 8. Roei Alkukin scored in the 91st minute to settle the match in Be’er Sheva. The victory took Tel Aviv to 25 points, one ahead of Maccabi Tel Aviv and three ahead of its opponent. Daniel Dappa supplied the decisive pass, and Alkukin finished past Be’er Sheva goalkeeper Ofir Marciano in stoppage time. Earlier, Marciano had kept out an Omri Altman header from another Dappa delivery. At the other end, Tel Aviv goalkeeper Assaf Tzur saved a shot by Zahi Ahmed, who sent the rebound over the bar. Tel Aviv coach Eliniv Barda described a closely contested tactical match and said his team had adjusted after Be’er Sheva changed its formation. He welcomed the transition move that produced the winning goal, while cautioning against drawing early conclusions about the title race. “We are in round 10 and should not get carried away,” Barda said. Alkukin also said it was too early to declare a championship challenge after a win against a difficult opponent away from home. The result was Tel Aviv’s seventh consecutive victory in all competitions. That sequence included wins against Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Toto Cup final and Maccabi Haifa in the league. The teams now enter the international break, with Tel Aviv holding first place after the tenth round.