Maccabi Tel Aviv Suffers Weakest Derby in 15 Years After Toto Cup Final Loss

Hapoel Tel Aviv secured the victory with goals from Roi Alkukim, Omri Altman, and Daniel Dafa. Dor Peretz scored two late goals for Maccabi Tel Aviv, but also admitted to defensive failures. Maccabi Tel Aviv coach Keni Miller blamed the defeat on poor defensive play, stating that the team's tempo was not at the required level at the start of the match and hinting at potential squad changes.

Several Maccabi Tel Aviv players faced criticism for underperforming, including right-back James Tavernier, central defender Mohamed Ali Camaara, and goalkeeper Ofek Malika, who may lose his starting position to Roi Meshpati. Midfielder Gabi Kanyukovsky and the offensive lineup of Osher Davida, Helio Varela, and Elad Madmon also struggled, while Shagiv Ezekiel was considered the team's best player despite playing out of position at left-back.

Following the match, Dor Peretz claimed that Maccabi Tel Aviv was denied a clear penalty, but the Football Association rejected the claim and confirmed the referee made the correct decision. The defeat follows previous European qualifier losses for Maccabi Tel Aviv against CSKA Sofia and FC Lugano earlier this season.