Hapoel Tel Aviv captured the Toto Cup with a thrilling 3-2 victory over city rivals Maccabi Tel Aviv in an intense and emotional derby at Bloomfield Stadium.

The Reds took an early lead when Roie Alkukin converted a pass from Douglas Owusu before doubling their advantage in the second half through an Omri Altman penalty after Daniel Dappa was brought down inside the box.

Hapoel added a third goal through Dappa from close range, but two late strikes from Dor Peretz brought Maccabi within a goal in second-half stoppage time. Hapoel held on, however, to lift the trophy and celebrate with its supporters late into the night.

Hapoel head coach Elyaniv Barda reflected on the victory, “Incredible joy. We’re delighted for our fans, who have waited so many years. It’s a great honor for Israeli football. Defensively, we did a lot of things well, but I made the substitutions too early and perhaps should have waited a little longer. Offensively, we scored three goals and could perhaps have scored even more.

“This continues the trend from last season. We want to be in the title race in April, and then we’ll know whether we’re going all out for everything or whether it’s still too early. Hapoel is a huge club, and we have an owner who gives us a great deal of stability and peace of mind to work. That’s very important.”

Maccabi head coach Kenny Miller was disappointed with his team’s performance and the result, “Very, very disappointing. We didn’t do enough in attack apart from in the final few minutes. When you defend the way we did today, you can’t win like that, and you can’t win a title. I’m very disappointed to lose this final.

“We didn’t defend well enough on the goals. We had to deal with situations we shouldn’t have had to face in the first place. It’s a shame to concede the goals we did. If we had defended properly, we would have had a chance at the end.”

Hapoel forward Daniel Dappa, who played a key role in the victory, spoke about the significance of the result and the support he received from his teammates and the fans, “I worked really hard. The fans pushed us forward. There’s no feeling like scoring in a derby; it’s the best feeling in the world. The coach and my teammates encouraged me. The fans also told me they believed in me. I want to give everything for this team.”

Maccabi captain Dor Peretz also expressed his frustration after the defeat, “I’m super disappointed and frustrated. To show up like this for a derby is not good enough. I’m sorry. The preparation was excellent; the responsibility lies with us, the players. Winning tackles is the bare minimum, and we didn’t do that. We didn’t track back and defend as a whole team. We didn’t deserve to win. They made things difficult for us and did what they needed to do.”

Hapoel Strikes First in Electric Derby Atmosphere

The atmosphere at Bloomfield Stadium was electric as the Tel Aviv derby took center stage in the Toto Cup final. Both sets of supporters delivered impressive tifos and created a charged atmosphere, complete with flares and fireworks.

Once the smoke cleared, Hapoel struck first. Dappa broke through the middle of the pitch before finding Owusu on the right. Owusu sent the ball across the Maccabi defense and into the path of Alkukin, who calmly beat goalkeeper Ofer Melika with a finish just inside the post to give the Reds a 1-0 lead.

Hapoel continued to push forward, with Melika producing an excellent save from a corner. At the other end, Issouf Sissokho’s long-range effort drifted just wide of the left post, while Peretz appeared to be brought down inside the penalty area, only for the referee to wave play on.

Shortly before halftime, Sagiv Yehezkel saw his effort collected by Hapoel goalkeeper Assaf Tzur, while Dappa’s attempt was smothered by Melika. Hapoel went into the break holding a deserved 1-0 advantage.

Altman and Dappa Extend Hapoel’s Lead

Maccabi looked for an equalizer at the start of the second half, but Yehezkel’s effort was comfortably collected by Tzur, while Gaby Kanichowsky sent his attempt wide of the right post.

Hapoel nearly doubled its advantage, but Dappa was unable to get a clean shot away inside the area. Maccabi won a series of corners at the other end, but none produced a clear-cut opportunity, and the score remained 1-0 as the match approached the hour mark.

Hapoel came close to adding a second when Falcao’s long-range effort, following a chance created by Owusu, struck the crossbar. Yehezkel then had an opportunity in front of goal, but his effort was cleared to safety.

The breakthrough came in the 78th minute. Dappa drove into the penalty area and was brought down by Raz Shlomo, earning Hapoel a penalty. Altman stepped up and converted from the spot to double the Reds’ lead.

Dappa then got on the scoresheet himself in the 84th minute. After receiving a pass from Chico inside the box, the forward managed to turn the ball into the net from close range, extending Hapoel’s advantage to 3-0 and putting his side firmly in control.

Peretz Sparks Late Maccabi Comeback

Maccabi refused to give up and mounted a late comeback through Peretz, who scored twice in quick succession with efforts from the edge of the penalty area. The two goals cut Hapoel’s lead to 3-2 and set up a tense finish in second-half stoppage time.

Maccabi came agonizingly close to finding an equalizer when Ester Sokler’s effort narrowly missed the right post. It proved to be the visitors’ final major opportunity, however, as Hapoel held firm to secure the victory.

The final whistle sparked jubilant celebrations among the Reds and their supporters, as Hapoel lifted the Toto Cup after an unforgettable derby triumph.