Maccabi Tel Aviv dominated Maccabi Haifa 3-1 as Dor Peretz scored a first half brace to help the yellow-and-blue to the 3-points and the win. Kenny Miller’s squad looked to break the ice early on as Peretz slotted home a penalty after Helio Varela had been tripped up in the box and then the same Peretz doubled the advantage when he took a gorgeous Ali Camara ball and slotted it home for a 2-0 lead at the break.

Osher Davida added the third marker for the hosts while Eitan Azulay broke up the clean sheet with an inconsequential penalty as Maccabi closed out the win.

“We talked before the game about the disappointing result in Europe,” Maccabi Tel Aviv Head Coach Kenny Miller said. “We won the Super Cup, reached the Toto Cup final and we wanted to continue our good run of results. We enjoyed the energy of the home crowd. In the first half, it was the performance we wanted, but they put us under pressure in the second half. There are two teams in every football match, so it’s difficult for everything to go exactly the way you want for 90 minutes. As for Dor Peretz, he has had a great start to the season. He’s amazing, works hard every day and works on his finishing. He gets into good positions and that is showing in the games.”

“We lost the game but had some good minutes,” Haifa Head Coach Barak Bachar began. “We were soft and while the second half was a bit better, we have to improve as a team. We could have pressed more and been more aggressive, we could have done a better job against a team like Maccabi Tel Aviv who were coming off a tough loss. But we conceded an early penalty and things went the wrong way from that point on.”

Prior to the game, the Maccabi Tel Aviv fans were treated to an unexpected surprise when the club announced the signing of Gaby Kanichowsky from Ferencvaros as the star midfielder returns to the yellow-and-blue after a season in Hungary.

In addition, Eyal Golasa who recently retired, was honored on the pitch surrounded by his family and received a framed jersey after having played close to a decade with the club.

With the extra excitement in the stadium, Kenny Miller’s charges attacked from the get go as their efforts paid off in the 11th minute when Pedrao tripped up Helio Varela in the box which was good for a penalty that Dor Peretz coolly converted for a 1-0 lead.

Maccabi Tel Aviv continued to control the pace of play as the greens barely took possession and they were rewarded again when Ali Camara’s brilliant chip into the box went right to Peretz who controlled the ball for his chest and slotted it behind a helpless Omri Glazer for a 2-0 lead as the match went into the halftime break.

Haifa came out on fire to begin the second half with chances galore in the box, but the yellow-and-blue defense stood tall to keep the score as is. Both sides made wholesale substitutions as the greens continued to keep possession, however, the hosts broke down the pitch as Peretz gave Osher Davida a nice ball in the box that the latter sent into the top left had corner of the goal for a 3-0 Maccabi Tel Aviv advantage.

A late Davida handball in the box allowed Eitan Azulay to score from the penalty spot but 3-1 would be as close a Haifa would get on this night as Maccabi wrapped up the victory.