Hapoel Jerusalem Secures First Win of Season with 1-0 Victory Over Maccabi Petah Tikva

Hapoel Jerusalem claimed their first victory of the 2026/27 season on August 2, defeating Maccabi Petah Tikva 1-0 in the Toto Cup's third round. The match marked the debut of coach Ziv Arie with Maccabi Petah Tikva, a club where he spent seven years and became a prominent figure. Despite Arie's hopes for a first win in his new tenure, his former club celebrated, deepening Maccabi Petah Tikva's difficult start with their third consecutive loss.

Although the Toto Cup is a preparatory competition, Hapoel Jerusalem showed superiority throughout the match, with standout performances from Andrew Idoko and Tamir Haimovich. However, coach Lior Zada's squad will need to improve their offensive capabilities to avoid another season near the bottom of the league table. Maccabi Petah Tikva struggled to create scoring chances and had to play with ten men after Yazan Watad received a red card for a high-footed challenge on On Mizrahi.

The decisive goal came early in the second half, at the 47th minute, when Ohad Almog assisted Vitali Damashkan to put Hapoel Jerusalem ahead. The home team continued to threaten the goal, but Maor Ehrlich's good saves kept the score at 1-0 until the final whistle. Maccabi Petah Tikva will need significant work on their squad before the season opener to reverse their poor form.