The first Tel Aviv derby of the 2023/24 season ended last night (Tuesday) with a convincing knockout. The 5-0 victory over Hapoel Tel Aviv at Bloomfield equaled Maccabi’s highest victory in Tel Aviv derbies as the morning after is the time to dive into the extraordinary numbers from this fixture.
This was Maccabi’s 61st league victory as opposed to Hapoel’s 46 which set an all-time-record (15) gap. At the end of the 2012/13 season both Tel Aviv clubs were tied on 45 victories each.
Maccabi extended their stretch to a 21 unbeaten league run in derbies – equals the club’s unbeaten record against a specific opponent which was set against Hapoel Be’ersheva in 2002. Maccabi’s record during these 21 derbies stands on 14 victories and 7 draws with a goal tally of 46-6.
Maccabi’s unbeaten record during derbies in all competitions currently stands o 26: 19 victories and 7 draws with a goal tally of 58-9.
In the last five derbies Maccabi’s goal record stands on 15-0. Only between 2003-2004 Hapoel didn’t manage score in six successive derbies as the goal tally stood on 8-0.
Hapoel’s last victory in the derby was recorded on 26.4.14 – 9 years and five months ago that equal 3,441 days ago.
This was the fourth time in history that Maccabi won the derby 5-0 (1969/70, 2016/17 and 2021/22) but the first time with Hapoel hosting the fixture.
Only five league fixtures were decided by more than a 5-goal-margin with Maccabi responsible for 3 of the 5:
Maccabi Tel Aviv vs Beitar Tel Aviv – 8 victories by a five goal margin or more.
Hapoel Haifa vs Maccabi Netanya – 7.
Maccabi Tel Aviv vs Maccabi Haifa – 5.
Maccabi Tel Aviv vs Maccabi Neatnya – 5.
Hapoel Petah Tikva vs Maccabi Neatnay – 5.
Eran Zahavi scored his 9th goal for Maccabi in the Tel Aviv derby (Zahavi scored 1 more goal in the Toto Cup and 2 whilst playing at Hapoel). Zahavi climbed to 2nd place in the goal-scorers chart for Maccabi in derbies, with Shiye Glazer leading with 11 since the State of Israel was proclaimed and 13 overall.
Avi Nimni leads the list with 13 goals scored at derbies in all competitions – 8 league, 2 State Cup, 3 Toto Cup.
Dor Peretz scored the first two goals which was his first ever brace for Maccabi. In the 2020/21 season, Peretz scored a goal in two separate derbies.
Dan Biton and Dor Turgeman who made his derby debut, became the 93rd and 94th players to score for Maccabi against Hapoel in the league.
