In recent weeks, there has been a great debate about whether Tel Aviv is a “red city” or a “green city.” The answer to this question, of course, depends on factors that are much greater than the writer of these lines. In any case, there is one color that has stood out in Tel Aviv in recent years – and that is the color yellow. Tonight (Monday, 20:45, live broadcast on 5 SPORT), the 158th derby of the first Hebrew city of Bloomfield Stadium will open, and Maccabian dominance – for now – seems complete.
- Tonight, 20:45, live broadcast on 5 SPORT: The main game – Hapoel Tel Aviv against Maccabi Tel Aviv
In the historical balance, Maccabi of course maintained its superiority – 55 league victories over the years were towards the yellow side of the city and only 46 towards the red side. But when isolating the last few years – this trend becomes clearer and sharper:
* More than 6 years since Hapoel Tel Aviv did not win a derby; the last time was in April 2014, when the Reds (with Ran Ben Shimon on the lines) dismantled Paulo Souza’s Maccabi 1: 3, with three goals in the first half. Since then, 17 have passed. Various games (in the league and in the Toto Cup) – Maccabi won 12 and five more ended in a draw.
* We said six? We will continue with six: In the last six derby games, Hapoel has managed to score a single goal for its rival network. It happened on January 14, 2019, when Maccabi led 0: 1 from an goal by Opuado, but Emanuel Boateng (Hapoel’s player today) managed to save the Reds a point in the 88th minute – since then, in four games the balance is 14: 0 in favor of the Maccabees – All derbies of the 2019/20 season ended “on zero”.
Tonight, on the face of it, the Maccabees and the Reds seem to be coming with the biggest gap: Maccabi Tel Aviv may not be at its peak in recent years, and relatively far from the summit to which it has become accustomed, but Hapoel Tel Aviv on the other side is probably in its most difficult situation. Tonight on the grass, or will the derby – after all – have its own rules? Only the grass will prove it.
