Hapoel Tel Aviv beat Maccabi 3-2 to win the Toto Cup — Jerusalem Post

In Israel’s Tel Aviv, Hapoel defeated Maccabi 3-2 in the Toto Cup final at Bloomfield Stadium. For Hapoel, it is the first top-flight trophy since winning the Israel Cup in the 2011/12 season, The Jerusalem Post reports.

A three-goal lead

Hapoel took a 3-0 lead thanks to goals from Roi Alkukhin, Omri Altman and Daniel Dappa. However, late in the match, Maccabi reduced the deficit, with Dor Peretz scoring twice. Ester Sokler also came close to scoring a goal that could have changed the course of the match, but Hapoel held on to the winning score.

Earlier this season, Maccabi defeated Hapoel 4-1 in the derby. This time, the team coached by Elyaniv Barda won the Tel Aviv derby in the tournament final.

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The club’s return

Less than two years ago, Hapoel played in the second division. Over the past decade, the club was relegated from the top flight twice. After returning to the top division last season, the team beat Maccabi in a derby for the first time in more than 10 years and finished in a position that earned it the right to compete in European competitions.

Omri Altman, who at the age of 32 is in his third spell at Hapoel, called Barda one of the best coaches he has worked with. Hapoel will play its next match on Monday in the league against Maccabi Haifa at Bloomfield.