Maccabi Tel Aviv Dominates Hapoel Tel Aviv in Derby Win, Stays Perfect

Maccabi Tel Aviv secured a decisive 4-1 victory over Hapoel Tel Aviv in the Tel Aviv derby on Monday, maintaining their perfect record in the Israeli Premier League. Dor Peretz opened the scoring for Maccabi in the 19th minute, followed by a goal from Osher Davida in the 36th. Stav Turi'el managed to equalize for Hapoel in the 33rd minute but was later sent off in first-half stoppage time. In the second half, Hapoel's defense, despite being a man down, held strong for a period before Hicham Laïoussi extended Maccabi's lead in the 88th minute, assisted by Elad Madmon, who then scored the final goal himself in the 95th minute. This win widens the gap between Maccabi and Hapoel to five points.

Maccabi Tel Aviv coach Keni Miller expressed his satisfaction with the team's performance, highlighting the four goals and the support from the home crowd. "Four goals, a wonderful performance, especially at home in front of our fans who pushed us from start to finish. I am very happy," Miller stated. He acknowledged periods where the team dropped back but was pleased with the overall offensive positions and the eventual breakthrough. "Hapoel Tel Aviv is very organized, and even with ten players, they defended well. I am very happy with everyone's performance," he added.

Osher Davida commented on his recent goal-scoring form, responding to a question about his celebration: "The most fun in the world, we are happy. 'Pew pew'? That's what I've been doing lately, it's nothing special, it's not because of this game. I can understand that they say it's a provocation. Okay." He emphasized the team's adherence to the game plan, which he believes led to the late goals and momentum. "The coach told us all week to stick to the game plan, no matter what happens, and that we did it until the end, so in the end we scored two more goals. After the first goal, we took the momentum and ran forward. From game to game, I believe we will win."