Arda Kardzhali vs Beitar Jerusalem

Ben Shimol's early miss in the opening minutes proved decisive. Had he scored, the game would likely have opened up; instead, the miss allowed Arda to settle and the contest settled into a cautious, low-tempo rhythm that neither side had the sharpness to break.

• Yarden Shua (Beitar Jerusalem): The captain was Beitar's most creative outlet, finding space between the lines and linking play effectively. Drifted two dangerous crosses into the box in the second half that went unconverted.
• Ziv Ben Shimol (Beitar Jerusalem): A mixed afternoon — energetic and direct in the opening stages but a glaring miss in the first minute set the tone. His movement off the ball was a bright spot.
• Shon Weissman (Beitar Jerusalem): 20 minutes on his unofficial debut. Little service to feed on but showed intelligent movement and a willingness to drop deep. A building block.
• Miguel Silva (Beitar Jerusalem): Untroubled for long spells but alert when called upon, particularly from a first-half free-kick and a late Arda corner.

Player of the match: Yarden Shua (Beitar Jerusalem)

The 0-0 scoreline reflected a match with few genuine chances. Beitar's biggest opportunity came inside the first minute; Arda's best work came from set-pieces in the second half. Shot counts were low on both sides, typical of July friendlies where fitness building takes priority over match sharpness. The pace was noticeably slower than Beitar's opening friendly against Botev Vratsa (2-2), with coach Almog Cohen rotating his squad and managing workloads after a week of three-a-day training sessions.

Beitar Jerusalem remain without a win in their Bulgarian training camp after two matches — a 2-2 draw with Botev Vratsa and this 0-0 stalemate. This was their final friendly in Bulgaria before returning to Israel. Their first official fixture of 2026/27 will be a Toto Cup match against Hapoel Tel Aviv at Netanya Stadium, followed by UEFA Conference League qualifying.

For Arda Kardzhali, this was their final pre-season friendly. They kick off the 2026/27 Bulgarian First League season on 18 July away to Septemvri Sofia. Their pre-season record stands at one win (Rilski Sportist) and two losses (Botev Plovdiv, Lokomotiv Plovdiv) alongside this draw.

A pre-season friendly played at pre-season pace. Beitar created the only clear chance but lacked the finishing touch; Arda showed more intent after the break but could not find a way past Silva. The result matters less than the minutes — and for Weissman's first outing in yellow-and-black, the foundations were laid.

Head coach Almog Cohen will want more incision in the final third before competitive action begins, but the defensive solidity, particularly from set-pieces, was a positive takeaway.