Hapoel Tel Aviv Suffers Humiliating 4-1 Derby Defeat to Maccabi Tel Aviv

Hapoel Tel Aviv experienced a rough night in the Tel Aviv derby, conceding four goals to rivals Maccabi Tel Aviv in a 4-1 loss on Monday. This result was a stark contrast to their defensive record this season, having only let in two goals across their previous matches in the 2026/27 season before this game. Prior to the derby, coach Eliniv Barda's team had maintained clean sheets in their last three league encounters.

The four goals conceded were a significant defensive lapse, especially considering Hapoel Tel Aviv had only conceded more than two goals in one match during the entire previous season, a 4-1 defeat to Maccabi Haifa. This was also the first time Barda has conceded four goals against Maccabi Tel Aviv as a coach, though he previously suffered a 5-1 loss to Hapoel Be'er Sheva in the State Cup semi-finals. For goalkeeper Assaf Tzur, this marked the sixth time in his career he has conceded four goals, and the first in league play for Hapoel Tel Aviv.

The defensive performance was particularly jarring, with Hapoel Tel Aviv conceding four goals in 90 minutes after conceding just two goals in the preceding 810 minutes of play, an eighteen-fold increase in their conceded goal rate. The last time Maccabi Tel Aviv scored four goals against Hapoel Tel Aviv was over two and a half years ago, in January 2024. In Monday's match, Dor Turgeman and Eran Zahavi each scored twice for Maccabi Tel Aviv in their impressive home victory.