Preview:
Maccabi arrived at Bloomfield stadium for the Toto Cup Final against arch city rivals Hapoel Tel Aviv knowing that this derby has a lot more than local bragging at stake. After winning the Super Cup earlier this season, Kenny Miller will aim to secure a second domestic trophy in the 2026/27 campaign.
Five days after the 6-2 victory over Hapoel Haifa at Bloomfield that took his side to the top of the table, Miller’s side face second place Hapoel that trail them by one point in the table. When both teams met earlier this season, on MD3 Maccabi recorded a convincing 4-1 victory. But while Maccabi has the best attack that scored 24 goals, Hapoel has the tightest defense conceding a total of five goals in eight league matches.
Miller made a single change from the side that won at the weekend after Noam Ben Harush underwent an operation on his knee which will sideline him for several weeks. As a result, Sagiv Jehezkel was named by Miller at left back instead of Ben Harush. The rest of Maccabi’s defense remained unchanged with Ali Camara and Raz Shlomo as the two central defenders and James Tavernier at right back. Issouf Sissokho on his 100th appearance for Maccabi kept his place in the anchorman role and was joined in the engine room by Gabi Kanichowsky. Dor Peretz captained the side, with the 31-year-old now just two goals shy of reaching 100 in all competitions.
With Jehezkel playing as a full-back, Osher Davida returned to the side and was named as one winger with Helio Varela on the opposite flank. Elad Madmon who celebrated his first start this season with a goal and an assist, kept his place in the starting line-up to lead the attack.
First Half
Bloomfield Stadium was packed to its capacity with half the stadium in Maccabi’s Yellow and Blue while the other was in Hapoel’s Red and White. Seconds after kickoff in typical Tel Aviv derby fashion, a pyrotechnic display from both sets of fans caused a delay of several minutes as smoke covered the entire stadium limiting visibility to a ninimum. When the smoke finally cleared around 10 minutes later referee Snir Levy resumed play ensuring that there will plenty of minutes added on at the end of the first half.
While Maccabi dominated the early stages, Hapoel struck with their first attack of the game as Daniel Dappa picked up the ball deep inside Maccabi’s half and released Roei Alkoukin, whose right-footed shot bounced just in front of Ofek Melika and into the net to give Hapoel the lead. Right on the half-hour mark, a reflex Melika save denied Omri Altman from scoring directly from a corner. A minute later at the opposite end, Issouf Sissokho unleashed a right-footed shot that flashed agonisingly wide of the target. Osher Davida was booked by referee Levy for a challenge on Altman that halted a counter-attack, while Raz Shlomo became the fourth Maccabi player to enter the referee’s book before the interval. Nine minutes of added time were shown by tge fourth official as Helio Varela tormented Hapoel’s defence down the left before Jehezkel registered Maccabi’s first shot on target. But Jehezkel’s effort did little to trouble Assaf Tzur while did Varela’s shot was also equalled by the Hapoel keeper as the final action of the first half.
Second Half:
Miller stuck with his players and made no changes at the break as Maccabi emerged for the restart and picked up where they had left off. Varela continued to pose a threat down the left, teeing up Kanichowsky, who curled a right-footed shot wide of the post from outside the area. Three minutes after the hour mark, Hapoel came close to doubling their lead as Lucas Falcao unleashed a powerful right-footed shot from outside the area that rattled the crossbar before the danger was cleared. In the 69th minute Miller made a double change introducing Hisham Layous and Ester Sokler for Davida and Elad Madmon.
In the 77th minute, Hapoel were awarded a penalty as Daniel Dappa charged into the box and was adjudged to have been brought down by a challenge from Raz Shlomo. Snir Levy didn’t hesitate and pointed to the spot before Altman stepped up and blasted the penalty in to double Hapoel’s lead. Kanichowsky who worked tirelessly throughout the match in midfield came off and was replaced by Ido Shahar in the 80th minute. But within two minutes Hapoel had the ball in the back of Maccabi’s net for the third time. Chico Alves raced through and rolled the ball for Dappa who side footed home from point blank range.
In the 88th minute Jehezkel tried to play a through ball which Hapoel’s defense failed to clear as Peretz pounced on the loose ball and slotted in to make it 3-1. Two minutes later Varela cut the ball back from the left before Shachar teed off Peretz who blasted in his second on the night and 100th goal for the club to make it 3–2. Sokler had a chance to score a dramatic equaliser as a Tzur clearance bobbled off his foot but agonisingly rolled wide of the target.
