Hapoel Petah Tikva v Hapoel Be`er Sheva FC prediction

What to expect

Hapoel Petah Tikva host Hapoel Be’er Sheva FC at home in the Ligat ha’Al on 13 September 2026. Petah Tikva sit 10th out of 14, three points from four games and with a -3 goal difference. That places them in the relegation zone. Just above them is Hapoel Jerusalem FC, level on points, while Beitar Jerusalem sit just below, also level on points. Be’er Sheva are a little higher in the table, but the gap is narrow and both clubs will be looking to move up. The two sides are close in the standings, and a win could pull Petah Tikva out of the drop zone while giving Be’er Sheva a boost toward the middle of the table.

Petah Tikva’s recent form has been mixed. They drew 1-1 with Hapoel Tel Aviv, then lost 2-0 to Maccabi Haifa, followed by a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Ironi Kiryat Shmona. Their last match was a 0-0 stalemate against Hapoel Ramat Gan. In five games they have scored three goals and conceded six. The run shows they have struggled to find the net but have managed to keep a clean sheet once.

Be’er Sheva’s last few fixtures have not been easy either. They fell 3-0 to Celtic and then suffered a 4-1 loss to Kilmarnock. Their most recent game was a 2-2 draw with Hapoel Ra’anana, where they fought back from 2-0 down to share the points. In those three matches they have scored three goals while conceding seven. The draw against Ra’anana shows they can still create chances even when they fall behind.

When the two clubs have met before, the games have tended to be low-scoring affairs. The numbers we have suggest a total of about 2.5 goals for this encounter, with Petah Tikva averaging 1.5 goals and Be’er Sheva about 1.0. Both teams have a decent chance of scoring at least once – 74 per cent for Petah Tikva and 60 per cent for Be’er Sheva – but the likelihood of either side scoring twice is modest. We expect a tight contest, possibly decided by a single goal.

Our pick is for Hapoel Petah Tikva to win. The price of 5.80 is longer than our own reading of the game, which gives Petah Tikva about a 46 per cent chance of victory. We think the stronger side on the numbers, combined with the need to climb out of the relegation places, makes a win the cleaner play. For the pick to go wrong, Petah Tikva would have to fail to score at all or concede two goals, and Be’er Sheva would need to find the net twice. If either of those happens the result could swing the other way.