Maccabi face bitter city rivals Hapoel Tel Aviv in the Toto Cup Final at Bloomfield Stadium with a lot more than bragging rights at stake. After winning one trophy this season, lifting the Super Cup following a victory away to Hapoel Be’ersheva, Maccabi will try and win a second piec e of silverware. The victory at Tuner booked Maccabi’s place in the Toto Cup Semi Final where Kenny Miller’s side saw off Maccabi Netanya.

Hapoel Tel Aviv await Maccabi in the final at Bloomfield which is set to be split between the two sets of fans.

Ahead of the derby, Maccabi’s captain Dor Peretz who will look to lift the second trophy of the campaign, spoke the special atmosphere of this fixture.

“This is a very, very important game for us against our city rivals,” Peretz said. “We know them well, understand their strengths and how they play, and are preparing accordingly, of course. We’ll be happy to show our style of football and come away with a win. This is a game about a great deal of pride and a trophy.”

The 31-year-old who is Maccabi’s most experienced player and has his fair share of Tel Aviv derbies under his belt, added: “We know what kind of game we’re heading into. It’s a cup final, and the whole atmosphere is different, Bloomfield will be full, with the fans split half-and-half. That’s why we need to take to the pitch with tremendous enthusiasm, be very intelligent in the way we play and know how to approach the game properly.”

During the first meeting between the two sides earlier this season, Maccabi scored four goals on the way to a 4-1 victory. Together with a consolation goal Hapoel conceded in a 3-1 victory over Kiryat Shmona, these are the only goals Hapoel conceded in eight matches this season. “Hapoel are a great team and have been doing wonderful things in the league since the start of the season” Peretz said. “The facts speak for themselves, apart from the game against us, they have conceded very few goals. We’re aware of that and are preparing accordingly.”

Maccabi on the other hand in good goalscoring form as Miller’s side scored six goals against Hapoel Haifa at the weekend to reach a tally of 24 league goals in eight matches, as Perertz said: “That’s thanks to the good performances of all the players in the team, which have allowed us to dominate in the attacking third. We win the ball high up the pitch, create chances and take them. We work a lot in training on the right things, and it’s showing on the pitch. Hopefully, we can keep it going.”

After Noam Ben Harush underwent an operation on his knee and joins Tyrese Asante on Maccabi’s long term injury list, Peretz said: “We have excellent players in those positions who can step in and fill those roles. They’re in very good form and know how to cover for those who are unavailable. As a team, we need to do everything we can to concede as few goals as possible. Winning a derby is very important because it creates a tremendous boost, and it can certainly send a message that we’re very much in the title picture.”

Maccabi will face Hapoel Tel Aviv in the Toto Cup Final on Thursday (20:30), aiming to lift the trophy for a record-extending 10th time as the competition concludes its 42nd season. Ahead of the first-ever derby final, here are the key numbers to know.

9 titles, more than any other Israeli club

Maccabi are the Toto Cup’s most successful club, having lifted the trophy nine times: (1993, 1999, 2009, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2024 and 2025). Of the 14 clubs that won the Toto Cup over the years, Maccabi Haifa are second with five titles, while Hapoel Tel Aviv (2001/02) won the competition once.

Maccabi nine Toto Cup victories came under eight different coaches. Avram Grant led Maccabi to two titles, while Avi Nimni, Pako Ayestaran, Jordi Cruyff, Vladimir Ivic, Georgios Donis, Robbie Keane and Zarko Lazetic each won the trophy once.

14 finals and one night to decide the title

This will be Maccabi’s 14th appearance in the final, more than any other club in Israel. In their previous 13 appearances, Maccabi won the trophy nine times and finished in the runners-up spot on four occasions.

A total of 124 players featured for Maccabi in the Toto Cup Final with Dor Peretz making the most appearances featuring in six finals.

4 goals and two records

A 4-0 victory over Hapoel Petah Tikva in the 92/93 final is Maccabi’s highest victory to date. Ofek Melika’s uncle Meir Melika scored a brace with Nir Klinger and Avi Nimni contributing a goal each. This result remains the biggest winning margin in the competition’s 41 finals to date.

Nimni also holds the record for most goals in Toto Cup finals, with four. Fourteen different players were on target for Maccabi in the Toto Cup final.

20 derbies, first-ever final meeting

Maccabi and Hapoel met 20 times in the Toto Cup, but Thursday’s clash at Bloomfield will be their first-ever meeting in the Final.

Maccabi hold the upper hand with 12 victories, three draws and five defeats, scoring 33 goals and conceding 20.

Both Tel Aviv clubs faced each other in the group stage, with the other three in the Semi-Finals (1992, 2009 and 2019) that were all won by Maccabi.

241 matches, 430 players

Maccabi played 241 Toto Cup matches, winning 134, drawing 42 while Hapoel won 65 with a total goal tally of 442 scored and 253 conceded. Their 61.4% success rate is the highest in the competition.

A total of 430 players featured for Maccabi in the Toto Cup, as Sheran Yeini leads the way with a club-record of 60 appearances.

Maccabi put the two goalless draws against Bnei Sakhnin and Beitar Jerusalem and recorded a convincing 6-2 victory over Hapoel Haifa which took Kenny Miller’s side to the top of the table.

 

 

Itamar Noy who made a second half substitute appearance and scored the final goal against the club he joined Maccabi from last summer, said after opening his account this season: “Scoring feels great. I have a lot of respect and affection for my former club. Scoring is always enjoyable, and I hadn’t scored for a long time, so it was a wonderful feeling from the outset. As for the celebration, I respect the club I came from and have a great deal of respect and affection for it, so I didn’t want to celebrate excessively. But scoring a goal is always great.” Noy, who is facing tough competition for places in a Maccabi midfield that includes Issouf Sissokho, Gabi Kanichowsky, Dor Peretz, Ido Shahar and Dan Glazer, added: “At Maccabi, things are never easy. Nothing comes easily, the competition is extremely tough and there are some genuinely excellent players. I worked very, very hard during that period and waited for my opportunity. I’m happy that things came together so well. I give my maximum whenever I can and always try to help the team. Of course, I want to play as much as possible, but that’s beyond my control. My job is to give everything I have.”

In his second season at the Club, Noy, who made his 34th league appearance and 55th in all competitions, added: “I think competition should push everyone to become as good as possible. Having such depth and so many good players means that competition drives us every day. In training, you compete against the best players every day in order to improve, and of course everyone wants to make their contribution. Ultimately, we’re part of a big organization, and we need to make the most of the opportunities we get.”

After not scoring for two matches, the six goals scored took Maccabi’s goal tally to 24 in eight matches, as Noy stressed: “I don’t think we saw it as pressure. Even in the games when the ball wasn’t going in quite as often and things were a little more difficult, the team showed a lot of positive things. You can see the team’s progress and the number of chances we create. Sometimes the ball doesn’t go in, and that’s part of the game. We weren’t worried. We knew things needed to click a little better, and I’m happy that they did today.”

The versatile midfielder who can operate in several positions on the pitch added:: “One thing I’ve managed to adapt to is playing in several positions. Wherever the coach decides he needs me, I’ll do the best I can there. I feel comfortable in a number of positions, and I’ll do whatever is required of me.” Ahead of Thursday’s Tel Aviv derby in the Toto Cup Final: “There’s a lot of excitement, and it’s great. The Toto Cup final, a derby, these are the games we’re all waiting for. We really want to make our fans happy. Of course, we want to win and lift another trophy, and we’re really looking forward to it.”

Maccabi returned to winning ways and rediscovered their scoring touch on Saturday as Kenny Miller’s side beat Hapoel Haifa 6-2 on MD8 to climb to the top of the WINNER League table.
Elad Madmon made his first start of the season and repaid Miller with a goal and an assist. Madmon, reflected on his individual performance, the team’s approach and his work under the former Scottish international striker.
“The game plan hasn’t changed, this time the ball went in” Madmon said after his side went into the dressing room at halftime with the score at 1-1 and celebrated a 6-2 victory at the end.

“I’d sum up this game by looking at the way we played. That’s our approach,” Madmon said. “We simply did what we know how to do. We created scoring opportunities and this time we took them. I’m very happy with the result, and everyone showed up on the pitch today.”

On the against Haifa in comparison to the draws against Sakhnin and Beitar, Madmon added: “Our game plan was exactly the same. Nothing was different. The fact is that in our last two games, we created a huge number of chances and could have scored at least two clear goals in each match. I’d be more concerned if we weren’t creating chances, just as the coach told us. We created chances, in the previous games the ball wouldn’t go in, and this time it did.”

“I’m grateful for every minute; Kenny gives me great tips as a striker”

On the competition for places and training under one of Scotland’s top strikers, Madmon said. “I’m grateful for every minute I get here, and I’m constantly trying to prove myself, every week in training. This time, I was given the keys in the starting lineup, and I’m happy I put in a good performance. I don’t feel I received less trust in the previous games, the fact is that the coach brought me on among his first substitutions in every match. I feel the coach really believes in me as a good player, and this time he gave me the chance to start, and I proved it on the pitch.”
“He gives me and the team so many tips from his experience as a striker, about positioning in the box, how to open up passing lanes and how to get away from defenders marking you. I felt that today I got into a lot of good positions on the pitch, and that helps us a great deal.”

Ahead of Thursday’s Tel Aviv derby in the Toto Cup Final, Madmon summed up: “It’s a very important game, but we’re not going to change our approach. The way we’re playing is very good.”