Maccabi Haifa's hopes of escaping the group stage of the Toto Cup have all but disappeared, Sport5 reported, after two matches without a point left them rooted at the bottom of Group A just as neighbours and old rivals Hapoel Haifa pulled clear at the summit.
The damage was done inside the season's opening fortnight. Maccabi Haifa lost the first Haifa derby of the campaign 3-2 to Hapoel Haifa, then were beaten 3-0 by Ironi Kiryat Shmona, leaving them without a win, a goal difference of minus four, and zero points from two games.
The derby loss carried extra sting. Ynet reported it was Maccabi Haifa's first defeat to Hapoel Haifa in a Haifa derby in 29 years, and club officials moved quickly to steady supporters, telling the outlet: "Don't rush to write our obituary."
There has been no respite since. Hapoel Haifa needed a stoppage-time goal to beat Bnei Sakhnin 2-1 in round three, Alon Turgeman's 35th-minute strike separating the sides before Sakhnin levelled deep into added time and Hapoel Haifa snatched the winner moments later to stay unbeaten.
The Toto Cup's ten non-European teams are split into two groups of five, with only the two group winners advancing to the semifinals, where they meet Maccabi Tel Aviv and Hapoel Tel Aviv, the two clubs seeded straight through as Israel's continental representatives.
According to Sport5's table, Hapoel Haifa lead Group A on nine points from three matches, ahead of Kiryat Shmona on six from two, Ironi Tiberias on three from three, and Sakhnin and Maccabi Haifa level on zero from two.
Maccabi Haifa are not yet mathematically eliminated — they would need to win out while hoping Hapoel Haifa slip up at least twice — but with their city rivals still unbeaten through three rounds, Sport5's own assessment was blunt: the realistic chance of topping the group has now all but gone.
