Maccabi Haifa opened their Ligat Ha'al title defence with a 2-1 win over newly promoted Hapoel Ramat Gan at Sammy Ofer Stadium on Saturday, with Brazilian playmaker Bruninho scoring twice to settle a game that was tighter than the final score suggested.
Bruninho's first arrived in the 22nd minute, a low, first-time strike from 20 metres that flew past the goalkeeper into the corner. He struck again barely a minute into the second half, converting from close range to put the Greens 2-0 up and effectively decide the contest before Ramat Gan had time to settle.
The visitors, back in the top flight after a 13-year absence, pulled one back through Maxim Plakushchenko in the 61st minute — their first Israeli Premier League goal since they were relegated in 2013. It was a proud moment for the club, even if the result extended a wretched record against Maccabi Haifa: Ramat Gan still haven't beaten them in the league since October 1977.
Bruninho, signed from Ukrainian side Karpaty Lviv over the summer, has quickly become the team's most reliable source of individual quality. ONE reported that figures around the club likened his impact to that of past creative players who carried Maccabi Haifa in tight matches, drawing comparisons to Tjaronn Chery and Dia Saba as a genuine tie-breaker in games the team might otherwise have drawn or lost.
Yarin Levi also had his best game since returning to the club, but the mood around him remains complicated. According to ONE, sections of the northern stand again chose not to chant his name during the match, even as other parts of the crowd got behind him — a lingering echo of the criticism he faced over his loyalty after two years away at Beitar Jerusalem before rejoining Haifa in the summer of 2024.
Less welcome news came from the training ground. ONE reported that defender Cedric Don arrived late to the squad's final session before the match and walked in partway through the video review, and that the club intends to fine him rather than let the breach slide. Don joined Maccabi Haifa from Hapoel Jerusalem this summer in one of the most expensive deals in the club's history, on a contract running to 2030.
Despite the win, there was no rush to declare the campaign back on track. ONE reported that inside the club there was satisfaction with periods of Saturday's performance but also an acknowledgement that the defensive gaps exposed by Ramat Gan would need fixing quickly, with a far tougher test — Maccabi Tel Aviv — arriving in round two.
The club is also still working the transfer market before the September 14 deadline, hunting a winger to replace Manuel Benson after his season was ended by injury, according to the report. For now, though, three points and a Bruninho double were exactly the start Maccabi Haifa needed after a difficult pre-season.
