Hapoel Beer Sheva 2-2 Hapoel Haifa: Late fightback stuns Turner Stadium

Hapoel Beer Sheva twice came from behind to snatch a 2-2 draw against Hapoel Haifa in an entertaining Israel Premier League fixture. The result extended Beer Sheva’s unbeaten start to the campaign, but it also felt like a missed opportunity as they pushed for all three points after a thrilling late revival.

Haifa’s bright opener

Hapoel Haifa made the stronger start and took a deserved lead in the first half. A quick exchange of passes split the Beer Sheva defence, and the visitors’ forward produced a composed finish from the edge of the box to put his team ahead. Haifa continued to threaten on the counter-attack and could have doubled their lead before the interval, only for the home goalkeeper to make a sharp low save.

Beer Sheva responded well to going behind. Their equaliser came from open play when a patient build-up ended with a bouncing shot from outside the area that wrong-footed the Haifa keeper and brought the scores level. The momentum shifted back to the home side, but they could not find another goal before halftime.

Second-half drama

Hapoel Haifa regained the advantage after the hour mark with a well-organised set-piece routine. A clever near-post flick gave the visiting attacker a simple finish and looked set to secure a valuable away win.

Rather than settle, Beer Sheva poured men forward and forced Haifa deep into their own third. The pressure finally paid off in the closing stages when the home side won a penalty after a clumsy challenge in the box. The spot-kick was dispatched calmly, sparking wild celebrations around Turner Stadium.

Key talking point

The draw raises questions about Beer Sheva’s game management after falling behind twice, but their character cannot be questioned. Haifa, meanwhile, created enough chances to win the match and will view the dropped points with frustration. The Israeli Premier League season remains wide open, and this result showed both teams have the quality to trouble the division’s leading sides.

Standout players

• Beer Sheva’s midfield engine was tireless in the second half and drove the home side forward.
• Haifa’s attackers combined well throughout and caused issues with their direct running.
• The visiting goalkeeper kept Haifa in the game with several saves before the late equaliser.

Both sides will now shift focus to their next league fixtures, with Beer Sheva hoping to turn promising performances into victories and Haifa aiming to build on their strong attacking display.