Maccabi Tel Aviv Overwhelms Hapoel Jerusalem 5-2 with Dor Peretz Hat-Trick

Maccabi Tel Aviv opened their Israeli Premier League season with a commanding 5-2 victory over Hapoel Jerusalem on Sunday at the stadium in Rehovot. Despite conceding an early goal to Vitali Damshkan in the first minute, Maccabi staged a strong comeback led by Dor Peretz, who scored a hat-trick including a penalty. The match featured about 2,000 Hapoel Jerusalem fans and 3,000 Maccabi supporters in attendance.

Maccabi coach Kenny Miller made three changes to the lineup from their previous loss to Lugano, resting key players ahead of their upcoming Europa Conference League match. Hapoel Jerusalem fielded their strongest squad with Vitali Damshkan as their main striker. After Damshkan’s early goal, Maccabi equalized in the 24th minute through Roy Revivo’s header, and Peretz converted a penalty just before halftime to give Maccabi a 2-1 lead.

In the second half, Maccabi extended their lead with goals from Peretz and Hisham Layous, who scored after a deflected cross. Peretz completed his hat-trick with a well-placed finish assisted by Noam Ben Harush, making it 5-1. In the 78th minute, Maccabi goalkeeper Ofek Malika was sent off, forcing substitute goalkeeper Said Abu Farhi to finish the match. Hapoel Jerusalem scored a consolation goal in the final minute through Ohad Almog, ending the game 5-2.

Maccabi Tel Aviv’s dominant performance provides confidence ahead of their European fixture, while Hapoel Jerusalem faces challenges to improve as the season progresses. The match was marked by intense moments including a brief stoppage due to flares and a rare goalkeeper substitution due to a red card.

Summary: Maccabi Tel Aviv defeated Hapoel Jerusalem 5-2 in their league opener, with Dor Peretz scoring three goals including a penalty. Despite an early deficit, Maccabi rallied to dominate the match, which saw a red card for their goalkeeper and a late consolation goal for Jerusalem.