Maccabi Tel Aviv Dominates Rival in Derby Win, Davida Defends Goal Celebration

Maccabi Tel Aviv secured a decisive 4-1 victory over Hapoel Tel Aviv in the city derby, maintaining their perfect start to the league season with four wins in four matches. The win places Maccabi Tel Aviv at the top of the table with 12 points, while Hapoel Tel Aviv remains on 7 points after a frustrating evening.

Oser Davida, who scored against his former club, opened the scoring for Maccabi in the 19th minute. Hisham Layous and substitute Elad Madmon also scored for Maccabi, with Dor Peretz continuing his impressive form with his seventh goal in four games. For Hapoel Tel Aviv, the match was significantly impacted by the red card shown to Stav Touriyal in first-half stoppage time after receiving a second yellow card.

Hapoel Tel Aviv coach Eliniv Barda acknowledged the red card's critical impact on the game, stating, "We knew how to get back into the game, we were very good in the last half hour, add the red card and it changed the game. You can't ignore Touriyal's dismissal, it had a critical and direct effect on the game and our style." Despite the loss, Barda found positives, noting a good first half and the team's response before the red card.

Hapoel goalkeeper Assaf Tzur apologized to the fans for the result, emphasizing the team's resilience in difficult moments. Maccabi Tel Aviv coach Keni Miller praised his team's "fantastic performance" and their strong start to the season. Davida addressed his goal celebration, a "pew pew" gesture, explaining it's a recent habit and not intended as provocation, adding, "If I had scored for the other side, I would have done the same thing."