Maccabi Tel-Aviv opened their Ligat HaAl campaign with a commanding 5-2 victory over Hapoel Katamon Jerusalem on Sunday evening. The visitors took control early through V. Damascan's first-minute strike, then settled into a rhythm that Hapoel could never quite disrupt. To be fair, the hosts had their moments, but Maccabi's clinical edge proved decisive across the ninety minutes. D. Peretz finished his hat-trick, while R. Revivo and S. Abu Farkhi also found the net for the visitors.
And here's the thing about that opening goal — Damascan's finish at the 1st minute set the tone for everything that followed. Hapoel tried to respond through R. Revivo's effort at 24 minutes, but the visitors had already established their superiority. By then, Maccabi were playing with a freedom that Hapoel's structure simply couldn't contain. N. Malmud picked up a yellow card at 44 minutes as frustration began to mount on the home bench.
The second half brought a penalty from D. Peretz at 45+2 minutes, and that was the moment the match really slipped away. Three substitutions for Maccabi at 64 minutes — H. Varela, I. Shahar, and E. Sokler — kept their legs fresh while Hapoel struggled to find answers. Peretz added two more goals, at 63 and 71 minutes, turning what might have been a comfortable win into something more emphatic. O. Melika's red card at 77 minutes left Hapoel with ten men for the closing stages.
The statistics tell a story of dominance, though not without its nuances. Maccabi registered 8 shots on target to Hapoel's 5, while their expected goals of 3.56 versus 1.27 suggests they created quality chances. Both sides won 21 aerial duels, but Maccabi's 47 per cent shot accuracy compared to Hapoel's 31 per cent made the difference. And here's the thing — many of Hapoel's attempts came from difficult positions, which is why the xG gap tells a truer story than the shot count alone.
What this result means in the table is straightforward. Maccabi sit top of the standings with 6 points from 2 games, having won both matches. Hapoel remain in 13th place with 0 points, their recent form — including victories against Maccabi Haifa and Hapoel Petah Tikva — offering little reassurance. The visitors' goal difference of +3 already separates them from the bottom half, and they showed no signs of letting up when the game was won.