Preview

Maccabi returned to the stadium at Rehovot for the MD9 WINNER League encounter against newly promoted side Hapoel Ramat Gan. Kenny Miller’s side that began the 2026/27 league campaign with a 5-2 victory over Hapoel Jerusalem, will face Ramat Gan that are currently 11th.

Four days after suffering a painful 2-3 defeat in the Toto Cup Final and after dropping to second place in the table two points adrift of Hapoel Be’ersheva, Maccabi will aim to collect three points and reclaim top spot. Miller made a single change from the side that lost the derby, as Itamar Noy stepped into the midfield replacing Issouf Sissokho in the anchorman role. Other than that, Maccabi’s defense was unchanged with Ali Camara and Raz Shlomo lining-up in front of goalkeeper Ofek Melika. James Tavernier on the right and Sagiv Jehezkel on the left completed Maccabi’s back-four. Gabi Kanichowsky joined Noy in the engine room while Dor Peretz whose brace in the derby took his overall tally to 100 goals for the club, completed the midfield trio. Helio Varela and Osher Davida supplied the width to Maccabi formation in support of Elad Madmon who led the line.

First half

Boosted by an entire East stand packed with Maccabi fans, as well as an additional quarter of the West stand, Maccabi began the match determined to score an early goal. In the opening minute, Sagiv Yehezkel floated a diagonal cross over Ramat Gan’s defence towards James Tavernier, who met it first time and squared the ball across the face of goal. But none of his teammates could connect as the ball sailed wide.

Two minutes later, Maccabi had the ball in the back of the net as a pinpoint cross from Tavernier was headed home by Elad Madmon to give Maccabi the lead after just three minutes. Madmon came close to doubling his tally in the 15th minute as he met Osher Davida’s cross with a half-volley but couldn’t hit the target. Madmon came close to doubling his tally in the 15th minute as he met Osher Davida’s cross with a half-volley but couldn’t hit the target. Maccabi managed to double their lead in the 21st minute as Helio Varela’s cross to the far post was hooked back by Osher Davida. With the ball rolling along the goal line, Gabi Kanichowsky pounced and swept home from point-blank range to make it 2-0. 

Maccabi managed to double their lead in the 21st minute as Helio Varela’s cross to the far post was hooked back by Osher Davida. With the ball rolling along the goal line, Marcio Silva attempted to clear but the Ramat Gan defender who tried preventing Gabi Kanichowsky from scoring kicked the ball into his own net. Five minutes after the half-hour mark, Dor Peretz had a shot blocked by a Ramat Gan defender before the ball fell to Varela, whose snap shot rattled the crossbar and bounced out for a goal kick.

Three minutes later, another Tavernier cross was met by Davida, whose header forced Ramat Gan goalkeeper Amit Raif into a reflex save. With the hosts unable to clear their lines, Davida collected the rebound, dribbled into the box and squared the ball to Peretz, who blasted home Maccabi’s third and his 101st goal for the club. On the stroke of half-time, Maccabi came close to adding a fourth as Peretz released Varela down the left flank, leaving the Cape Verde winger with acres of space. Varela squared the ball to Madmon on the edge of the area, but the forward’s side-footed effort narrowly missed the target.

Second half

The second period began with no changes made by Miller during the interval, as Maccabi picked up where they had left off in the first half. In the opening stages, Varela’s cross beat the keeper, but Davida somehow blocked the ball on the goal line before the danger was cleared. Two minutes later, Madmon had another opportunity to score, but his effort was once again blocked. This was his final action on the night as Miller made a double substitution introducing Ester Sokler and Itai Ben Hamo for Madmon and Ali Camara on 54.

Four minutes after the hour mark, Miller made another double substitution, introducing Dan Glazer and Hisham Layous for Itamar Noy and Davida. In the 66th minute, Maccabi extended their lead to 4-0 as Peretz floated a delightful cross into the box, where Sokler rose to meet it with a perfectly placed header that left Raif helpless. Miller made his fifth and final substitution in the 72nd minute as Kanichowsky received a standing ovation before making way for Ido Shahar. Maccabi continued to dominate and pour forward in numbers, with a fifth goal looking increasingly inevitable. In the 75th minute, Layous sent Sokler clear through on goal with a perfectly weighted pass. Yhe Slovenian striker raced into the box before firing a shot over the advancing keeper to make it 5-0 with his second goal of the night.

Deep into injury time, Maccabi were awarded a penalty after Peretz dribbled into the box and saw his shot blocked by Silva’s outstretched arm. Sokler stepped up but saw his spot kick and hatrick denied by the keeper before Yigal Frid blew the full time whistle.

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.