It has been 20 years since the last time Maccabi Haifa and Hapoel Haifa met in the first league. Tomorrow (Sunday) at 21:00 it will happen again in Romema, and how unfortunate – for both teams – that there is no crowd in one of the most intriguing games this basketball season can offer. In another game, Shai Saglovitch will make his debut against the strong Hapoel Eilat.
Maccabi Haifa – Hapoel Haifa (21:00)
This is not how they wanted to reach the Greens for the most prestigious game for them: a balance of 7: 1 since the start of the season and a defeat to another bottom team, Bnei Herzliya, when the team is currently seen as one of the weakest in the league and dropped to last place in the table. Haifa has received some good news in recent days, when after great efforts, it managed to obtain the visa to enter Israel to Tyler Baron. The former Hapoel Beer Sheva player is registered for the game, but it is still unclear whether he will play in light of the fact that he barely had time to train with his new friends. But in light of the fact that the Haifa squad is so short – Devon Jefferson is not on the squad again and Avi Ben Shimol is still carrying an injury (but will play) – it is possible that Baron will make his debut in the derby.
Hapoel Haifa were upset by the game against Hapoel Holon, but put it behind them, as they face the most “most important of the season”, according to club members. Hapoel Haifa have been waiting for the derby for many years and are coming to it in a much better position than their opponent tomorrow: its balance is much better (3: 4) and the staff it built at the beginning of the season looks better and more connected. Quite a few eyes will be turned in the direction of Tyler Rochesti, who was naturally lukewarm in the debut game in Holon, but he will already arrive for the derby after a number of training sessions with his new friends.
Urban Nahariya – Hapoel Eilat (17:30)
The first game for the Ein Sara team since the shock on the lines and the departure of Danny Franco, when for Saglowicz this is the first game in his career as head coach in the senior league. However, Saglowicz certainly knows that the task of staying in the league will not be easy, certainly in the current squad, as Benahariya intends to make further changes in the squad and is looking for players in the guard positions as well as in the domestic positions.
Eilat arrives for its part after a victory over Be’er Sheva, in which it presented the good basketball that has characterized it since the start of the season. For Ariel Beit Halachmi’s team, it will be a game that is like a “break”, as in the coming month it will hold only one league game (against Hapoel Holon, 9.1), and it is hoped that the gap forced on it will not lead to a decrease in capacity.