Tel Aviv Clubs Cruise to Big Wins as Maccabi Hits Six and Hapoel Blanks Jerusalem

Both Tel Aviv clubs delivered commanding results in the latest round of the Israeli Premier League. Hapoel Tel Aviv defeated Hapoel Jerusalem 3-0 at Teddy Stadium, while Maccabi Tel Aviv overpowered Hapoel Haifa 6-2.

In front of 7,000 Hapoel Tel Aviv supporters, Daniel Dappa broke the deadlock shortly before halftime. He took a fine through ball from Douglas Owusu, beat a defender inside the box and drove a powerful shot into the net.

The visitors added a second in the 53rd minute, when Omri Altman converted a backheel from Yannick Leliendal. Not long after, substitute Roie Alkukin tapped in another Leliendal cross to wrap up the scoring.

Hapoel Tel Aviv coach Elyaniv Barda admitted his team was below par early on. "We weren't good enough in the first half and didn't control the tempo enough," he said, crediting halftime adjustments and the introduction of Alkukin for the improvement. Hapoel Jerusalem coach Lior Zada pointed to a "very soft goal" conceded at the end of the first half, and said his side is letting in too many goals, though it has also faced many top teams.

At the other end of the scoring scale, Maccabi Tel Aviv ran riot against Hapoel Haifa. Elad Madmon opened the scoring from inside the box after an assist from Noam Ben Harush, and Arial Mendy leveled in the 38th minute to make it 1-1 at the break.

Ali Camara put Maccabi back in front with a header from a corner, and Dor Peretz made it 3-1 in the 58th minute. Sagiv Yehezkel soon added a fourth, and Alon Turgeman reduced the deficit for Haifa in the 72nd minute. Camara then completed his brace and Itamar Noy struck from inside the box for the sixth.

Maccabi coach Kenny Miller was happy with the goals but not satisfied. "We can't give the opposition hope at any stage of the game," he said, adding there is still plenty of room for improvement. Haifa coach Haim Silvas said his side collapsed after conceding from a set piece in the second half, and that "the hole was too deep to climb out of."

Elsewhere, Bnei Sakhnin beat Kiryat Shmona 1-0 on a 40th-minute goal from Sana Gomes. Kiryat Shmona coach Shai Barda lamented that his team has taken only three points from 24, citing a lack of confidence. Ironi Tiberias and Maccabi Netanya drew 1-1, with Bar Cohen equalizing in the 92nd minute after Oz Bilu had given Netanya a first-half lead. Netanya coach Roni Levy called conceding in stoppage time irresponsible.

Maccabi Petah Tikva ended a five-game losing run by beating Hapoel Ramat Gan 2-1, with Jose Cortes scoring twice in the first half. Luan Campos pulled one back for the hosts after the break, but Petah Tikva held on. Coach Ziv Arie said his team would take the win after five losses, some of them bizarre.