Maccabi Tel Aviv coach Vladimir Ivic stood on the sidelines and watched his players deliver an emphatic 3-0 victory over Hapoel in the big city Derby at Bloomfield but warned of more tough matches in the upcoming playoff phase.

“We took charge after a tentative start and had chances to score but most important is that we created many opportunities and played as we wanted. We deserved this win, we were the better team.”

The Serb said that while it was important to finish the league in first place ahead of the playoff stage, the remainder of the season would still be tough.

“There will be six very strong teams and every game will be like a Derby.”

Maccabi Tel Aviv registered yet another fine performance in the big city Derby against Hapoel on Monday registering a 3-0 win that ensures their top spot finish after two phases of the TASE Premier League and gives them a huge advantage in the playoff phase.

The match opened in front of over 26,000 fans at Bloomfield and was evenly balanced in the first 35 minutes, with neither side able to deliver a shot on target. But once Omer Atzili scored the opening goal, it was all one-way traffic for the hosts.

Atzili’s goal came from the first shot on target for Maccabi when his free kick from 20 metres directly in front of goal deflected off the Hapoel wall and ended up in the back of the Hapoel net with goalkeeper Yoav Gerafi left stranded. 

But any hopes Hapoel had of holding their own were dealt a severe blow when in the 44^th minute, midfielder Shai Eizen was sent off after he slid feet first into Itai Shechter who was speeding goalwards.

The infringement needed a long VAR check before referee Liran Liani pulled out the red card but that incident also ended Shechter’s involvement and he had to be replaced by Chico Ofoedu.

The resulting free kick after play resumed saw Atzili produce another superb effort but this time Gerafi did well to save the shot as he dived to his left.

Eyal Golasa added a second in the 63rd minute with a superb right-footed shot from 18 metres that curled in from the right and landed in the top of the Hapoel net and again, Gerafi was helpless to do anything about it. 

For much of the second half, Maccabi took the game to Hapoel and the action was all in their half of the pitch. 

As the clock ticked down towards full time, Maccabi took complete charge of proceedings and in the 70th minute Ofoedu had an easy tap-in from a pass across the goalmouth by Dor Micha, who came on in place of Golasa six minutes earlier.

But it was not all smiles for Ofoedu who had to be carried off towards the end after going down injured with a suspected tendon tear. It also left Maccabi with 10 men after they had made all three of their substitutions.

Maccabi Tel Aviv’s fans chose Eyal Golasa as the “Factory 54” Man of the Match in the 3-0 Derby win over Hapoel.

It was a close-run thing as Golasa edged Omer Atzili for the accolade and he edged it with his superb goal, the second of the match, a curling right-footed strike from 18 metres out that landed in the roof of Hapoel’s net.

“I’m so happy, especially to have scored in the Derby and to win so convincingly, there is no better feeling,” Golasa said after the match. 

The forward will be out of contract at the end of the season but hinted that he enjoyed playing at Maccabi and said he wanted to stay on.

“It’s quite clear for all to see that I love to play at Maccabi and I hope to stay. I have said so in several interviews but at the moment it’s more important to seal the title. We can deal with the other issues later,” Golasa said.

He said that he was a better player after returning from his long injury layoff.

“The injury was very worrying but I have come back better. I have worked hard to be able to play as I am playing at the moment. I look after myself in training and work hard for this, although it’s impossible to know what the future holds.”

Maccabi will host the 155th Tel Aviv Derby against Hapoel on Monday. In the previous 154 clashes Maccabi have won 52 times, there have been 56 draws and 46 wins for Hapoel. The goal difference favours Maccabi 178-150.

Maccabi’s will be returning to Bloomfield after three seasons in Netanya. Their home Derby record is 29 wins, 29 draws and 14 defeats with a goal difference of 92-56.

Just one point from Monday’s fixture will ensure Maccabi top the standings as the league enters the playoff phase and under the system, since the 2012-13 season, all the teams that entered leading the playoff phase have gone on to win the title.

If Hapoel manage to sneak into the playoffs, there will be two more Derbies this season, the first time that this has happened since 2013-14.

If Maccabi do not lose on Monday, it will mark 10 straight Derbies undefeated, which would equal the run that was achieved in 1994.

The biggest margin of victory in the Derby was the 5-0 win for Maccabi in 2016-17 when Tal Ben Haim and Vidar Kjaertensson with two each, and Nosa Igibor scored, and in 1969-70 when Giora Spiegel hit a hat trick and Rahamim Talbi and Nissim Bachar added the others.

Hapoel coach Nir Klinger’s record against Maccabi is two wins, three draws and ten wins for Maccabi and a goal difference of 35-14 in favour of Maccabi.

The active player with most Derby appearances is Sheran Yeini, with 23, seventh in the all-time record list.

The most prolific Derby scorer is the late Shiye Glazer, with 11 goals, while Avi Nimni has eight, and Eli Driks and Eran Zahavi with seven each.

Over 2.3 million spectators have turned out to watch Tel Aviv Derbies over the years. This works out at an average of 15,300 per game and is a record for any domestic Israeli fixture. The Derby with the highest attendance was 40,000 played at Ramat Gan when Maccabi won 1-0.

 

Dan Glazer is expected to line up against Hapoel in Monday’s Tel Aviv home Derby at Bloomfield (kickoff 20:15) and he spoke to reporters at the pre-match news conference.

“We are preparing for this clash like any other game,” said Glazer said.

“I have been at Maccabi since age six and I know the significance of this match, it’s very important for us and for the fans but we must concentrate on the important things and to focus on the game. This is the most emotional game in the Israeli football calendar and we are planning to deliver on the pitch.” 

Glazer said that the team were focusing only on their own abilities and were not taking any notice of their opponents’ situation in the standings.

“We know that Hapoel are very, very tough opponents. I watched them play against Beitar Jerusalem and they looked good. We are expecting a tough match but the coach has prepared us for the situation and we hope that it will make the difference.”

“We have reached the business end of the season and every match is like a cup final. It’s also an important game for Hapoel. We have been preparing for this and we are always in anticipation of such a fixture, since we have been kids. Other clubs are always highly motivated to do well against Maccabi but it also makes us want to win.

“I have been involved in many soccer events in my life as a kid, but it was always my dream to play in the Derby for the senior team and I’m sure the atmosphere will be amazing, although we need to put all the hype aside and concentrate on what’s important in order to win.”

Maccabi Tel Aviv will host Hapoel in the city Derby on Monday at 20:15 and coach Vladimir Ivic told reporters at the pre-match news conference that the team are ready for the much-anticipated meeting and said: “We know what we are playing for and what is required of us.”

Maccabi Tel Aviv will pay homage to the double winning team of 1976-77 during Monday’s Derby when the players don a kit with the design worn by the club’s team 43 years ago.

This is the third season in a row that Maccabi is proud to pay its respects to great teams of yesteryear and revive memories of the achievements of the past.

The 1976-77 season ended with Maccabi’s fifth league and cup double and included players who have since become icons of the club and of Israeli soccer.

As part of the celebration to mark the occasion, the players will wear a kit with the design worn by Maccabi’s players in that great season. It will resemble the original very accurately, along with the club’s old Star of David logo and the special collar and long sleeved shirt.

The jacket worn by the training staff of the day, the shirt and commemorative scarf are on sale from the online shop and the official merchandising outlets, and of course, on Monday they will be available for purchase at the stalls around Bloomfield. FOREVER members will be able to buy the training top at a reduced price. The discount voucher has been e-mailed to you.