Who’s Winning the 24/25 Israeli Premier League? A Guide - 30 free spins no deposit required keep what you win

Will the Israeli Premier League be more competitive in the 2024/2025 season than the previous year? Can there be a tighter race for the supreme distinction in Israel’s internal league? This is a question that may sound like it has an easy answer; soccer is always unpredictable and can lead to fascinating results.

While the current state of the league points to another triumphant success for the current champions, we can ask enough questions to see if there can be a surprise. The regular season is long enough for spikes and drops in form. As such, the play-off (Championship) round is ripe for interesting scenarios that may turn the tide of the current table.

Can we place our expectations on the rest of the table to mount a thunderous campaign and do its best in an effort to raise the level of competitiveness? In a preview article at the end of last month, we looked at the main contenders, their upheavals, and the possible hope for racing for the title.

The season has just begun, and we can already look at the sample size that the competitors provided for us. This month’s article will tackle the chances for a repeat champion, the opposition to this campaign of title defense, and who’s in a prime position to qualify for the chance to compete in the European competitions.

Can the Champions Repeat?

The previous season saw the return to the top of the final standings of Israel’s most successful soccer team, Maccabi Tel Aviv. The giants of Israeli football managed to accrue 62 points in the regular season, thus entering the Championship round with the best chance to win the title for the first time since the 2019-2020 season.

The Yellows also dominated the play-off round following an effort that saw them reach the 85-point mark. As a result, they entered the Champions League qualifying stage before being knocked out by the Romanian champions, FCSB. Following a successful knockout round against Backa Topola, MTA entered the UEFA Europa League group stage.

This is a key piece of context because the current soccer schedule is the result of a consistent accumulation of matches from numerous competitions. European participation (and success) is a source of national pride and financial incentive. 

At the same time, the new format in the European competitions is synonymous with a rise in number of opponents. While the number of matches remains the same, adjusting for a new opponent each week can be both a tactical and physical ordeal, especially considering the level of competitors. Maccabi will have to face strong opponents like Ajax, Real Sociedad, and FC Porto.

Given the opposition from the other teams of the Premier League, compounded with the participation in the State Cup, Maccabi Tel Aviv’s schedule will be tremendously difficult. The hope for the Žarko Lazetić-coached side is that their 37-year-old talisman, Eran Zahavi, can continue to be as efficient as last season. 

The accumulation of a new coach, the heavy-hearted domestic situation, and a tight schedule may take its toll, especially down the line. The champions have started their season on the right foot, winning their match in convincing fashion against Maccabi Petah Tikva. Will they prevail against an acerbic competition?

The Main Contenders

Speaking of competition, who do we single out as the main contenders? According to the accumulated and compared odds, it’s none other than the vice-champions themselves, Maccabi Haifa. It’s no secret that the Israeli Premier League has been dominated by a 3-horse race over the last decade.

The main contenders of this disputed domination are the two main Maccabis (Tel Aviv and Haifa), followed by Hapoel Be’er Sheva. If you’re looking to bet on any of them, a 30 free spins no deposit required keep what you win offer can boost your betting budget and prepare you just as much as this preview’s information.

Hapoel Beer Sheva

Despite being a clear contender at the top of the fixtures, Hapoel only managed to win the vice-champion distinction in two of the last three years. Last season, it only took bronze. Despite the lack of ultimate success, the club still looms around, ready to take advantage of an opportunity.

The road wouldn’t be easy anyway. The club is currently adapting to the new system imposed by freshly appointed manager Ron Kozuk. The new skipper may still be in the honeymoon phase despite bowing out from the Conference League in heartbreaking fashion.

As such, it remains a mystery if Miguel Vítor can still lead the team on the pitch with the same fervor. They won their first match against Hapoel Ironi Kiryat Shmona, which gives them enough hope to start their league campaign fresh.

Maccabi Haifa

Following a three-peat that saw the club capture its 15th title at the end of the 2022/2023 season, Maccabi Haifa saw itself dethroned by its biggest rival. They only managed to score 74 points to their rival’s 85. Despite the wide margin, Maccabi Haifa had a decent season under the departing Mesay Diego.

In his steady returns, Barak Bachar, the architect of Maccabi’s recent domination, came off a wildly unsuccessful stint as the coach of the Serbian giants Red Star Belgrade. We can hardly name Barak a new coach, as he returns to the club with whom he had history. He returned in June and inherited a Conference League qualification berth.

What followed was an insane double with the Azerbaijani club Sabah FK, which saw Maccabi overcoming a 3-0 loss from the first leg, winning 6-3, but ultimately bowing out after a dramatic penalty shootout. One can easily see such a dramatic outcome as a mental burden since losing tight matches is always devastating.

However, it appears that Bachar’s leadership is still a strong vector in the locker room of the greens. There has been more than a month since that elimination, and Maccabi is in strong form once again. Their league debut was a resounding 4-0 success against Ironi Tiberias FC, followed by an away victory against Maccabi Netanya.

It remains an interesting matter how the Haifa club continues to mount its campaign as it prepares for its away match against Maccabi Bnei Reineh. The team looked good so far, has a much clearer schedule than Maccabi Tel Aviv, and appears inspired by the return of its highly successful coach.

Will FIFA Ban Israeli Clubs?

This question still looms over the entire community of Israeli football and can have all sorts of implications. Following the Palestinian Football Association’s continuous complaints and demands that Israel be suspended from football. 

Their continuous claims keep accusing the Israeli Football Association of being a complicit of the Israeli state in the war against Hamas. In an effort to be as inconclusive as possible, FIFA delayed its decision once again, pushing it until October at the very earliest.

This bodes ill against Israeli football as a whole since it continues to consider a set of proposals that, if accepted, can be devastating to all the players, coaches, staff, and the entire nation of Israeli soccer lovers. 

Regardless of the IFA’s position and its sureness against the claims of the Palestinian Football Association, this kind of tension is a burden that FIFA can take off everyone’s shoulders. Until then, the Israeli Premier League and its national team will continue to compete.

This article was written in cooperation with Clara Micle-Smart.