Hapoel Tel Aviv Celebrates First League Win With Dominant 3-0 Victory

Hapoel Tel Aviv secured their first league win of the season in emphatic fashion on Thursday, defeating Beitar Jerusalem 3-0 at Bloomfield Stadium before 20,000 fans. The match, a makeup from the first round of the season, saw goals from Roi Alukokin in the 17th minute, Douglas Owusu with his debut goal in the 73rd, and Daniel Jafah sealing the victory nine minutes before the end.

Following the win, club officials celebrated, countering criticism about the team's perceived lack of scoring ability and forwards. "We heard that we don't know how to score, that there are no forwards, that there's no one to give the balls," they said. "But we knew exactly what we have. Although we scored a triplet, we could have scored much more. We are a real team."

Owusu was highlighted as the standout player, scoring and earning a red card for opponent Luka Gadrani. Jafah and Emmanuel Boateng, who provided an assist, also received praise. Hapoel registered seven shots on target compared to Beitar Jerusalem's zero.

Hapoel has finalized its foreign player quota with the addition of Yannick Lellindal, who requires several weeks to reach full fitness after missing preseason. The team, managed by Eliniv Barda, will only seek further reinforcements if a significant Israeli attacking player becomes available before the transfer window closes in ten days.

The team's defense has also impressed, remaining unscored upon in their first two games. Right-back Marcus Coco is noted as a key defensive addition, while Doron Leidner also delivered a strong performance. Coach Barda expressed cautious optimism, stating, "I'm not rushing to declare anything and not jumping over the fence. After the zero-zero draw with Hapoel Haifa, they said we are no longer candidates, and now after a good game, yes. It's important to me that the team improves. We are always looking to strengthen and add more quality. We are listening to the market, and if we see something that can help us, we will go for it."