10 penalties and 32 goals:  Israeli Premier League Sees Most Prolific Round in 20 Years

One of the most prolific rounds in the Israeli Premier League concluded last night (Monday) with no fewer than 32 goals, averaging 4.57 goals per match. This is the most goal-heavy round in the league since the 2004/05 season, when it happened in round 32 out of 33. We’re only at the start of the season: will we see even more prolific rounds?

Thirteen of the league’s 14 teams scored this week, with only Bnei Sakhnin failing to beat Hapoel Haifa’s goalkeeper, Niv Antman. Five teams scored one goal, two scored two, three scored three, Maccabi Tel Aviv netted four, and both Maccabi Haifa and Hapoel Be’er Sheva bagged five goals each. A staggering ten penalties were awarded this round.

Eight were converted, one was scored off a rebound (Ion Nicolaescu of Maccabi Tel Aviv), and only one was completely missed (Maxim Plakushchenko of Maccabi Netanya). The ten penalties were taken by ten different players. Six of those penalties were in the matches of Maccabi Haifa and Maccabi Tel Aviv, with each team receiving three.

Three red cards were shown this round, and in all three cases, the team reduced to ten players lost. At Beitar Jerusalem, Gil Cohen’s dismissal came deep in stoppage time, but it led to the free kick that secured Hapoel Tel Aviv’s victory.

Since the start of the season, the Premier League has seen 73 goals (3.48 per match), the best start since the 1995/96 season. Today, Hapoel Petah Tikva will host Maccabi Tel Aviv in a postponed match from the first round, delayed due to European commitments. Will we surpass the goal tally?

This round saw four home wins, three away wins, and no draws. In the first round (which, as mentioned, will be completed today), there were also no draws. Since the season began, there have been 20 matches: ten home wins, seven away wins, and just three draws.