Beitar Jerusalem go into Monday evening's Toto Cup placement game with their most talked-about attacking pair paired together from kick-off: ONE reports that Omer Atzili and summer signing Eugene Ansah both start as Beitar's front line against Hapoel Ramat Gan Givatayim, with the sides meeting for 7th-8th place in the competition.
It is not a title Beitar or Ramat Gan will get excited about in itself — the placement games simply sort the Toto Cup group-stage finishers before the Premier League proper kicks off on August 22 — but for Beitar's supporters, the headline is the attacking pairing rather than the position on offer.
Atzili, back at the club where he first made his name between 2013 and 2016, has been the team's talisman of sorts this year: reporting on Beitar's season earlier this year, Israeli media noted the side's results have swung sharply depending on his availability, with the club performing far better when he plays than when he is missing through injury.
Alongside him is Ansah, the Ghanaian forward who joined from Ashdod this summer on a two-year deal. Ynet reported at the time of the signing that Ansah, who can play across the front line as a striker or from either flank, was initially being registered as a foreign player while his Israeli citizenship process moves forward, and is on a reported salary in the region of €250,000 a season.
On the other side, Hapoel Ramat Gan Givatayim hand a start to Maxim "Max" Falkushchenko, the Ukrainian-born Israeli midfielder who came through Hapoel Haifa's academy before making his senior debut there in 2015. Falkushchenko has been in sharp pre-season form for his current club, having scored twice in a recent friendly win over Bačka Topola.
ONE's report lists the rest of both starting XIs, with Yehonatan Ozer in goal for Beitar behind a back line built around Roy Alimlich and Lial Darai, and Amit Raaif starting in goal for the home side.
Kick-off was set for 20:00 Israel time on Monday, with both clubs using the fixture as a final competitive run-out before the league season begins later this month.
