The 2016 Israel State Cup final decided the winner of the 2015–16 Israel State Cup, the 81st season of Israel's main football cup. It was played on May 24, 2016 at the Teddy Stadium in Jerusalem, between Maccabi Tel Aviv and Maccabi Haifa.

Background

Maccabi Tel Aviv had previously played 34 Israel Cup Finals, had won the competition a record 23 times. Their most recent appearance in the final was the previous year's edition, in which they won 6–2 over Hapoel Beer Sheva at Sammy Ofer in Haifa.

Maccabi Haifa had previously played in 15 finals, winning five. Their most recent appearance in the final was the previous year's edition, in which they lost 2–1 to Hapoel Tel Aviv, and their most recent victory in the tournament was in 1998, beating Hapoel Jerusalem 2–0.

Maccabi Tel Aviv and Maccabi Haifa had played each other in four previous finals of the tournament. Maccabi Tel Aviv won in 2002 and 1987, and Maccabi Haifa won in 1962 and 1993.

The two teams played each other four times during the 2015–16 Israeli Premier League season. In the first instance, at Sammy Ofer Stadium on 26 September 2015, Tel Aviv won 2–0, Eden Ben Basat and Dor Peretz scoring. On 10 January 2016 at Bloomfield Stadium, Maccabi Tel Aviv won 2–1. Eran Zahavi and Tal Ben Haim gave them a 2–0 half-time lead. Yossi Benayoun shrinking down 2–1. On 17 April 2016 at Sammy Ofer Stadium the game end drew 0–0. The fourth match between the two teams was held in Bloomfield Stadium on 21 May 2016.

Road to the final

Maccabi Tel AvivRoundMaccabi Haifa
OpponentResult2015–16 Israel State CupOpponentResult
Hapoel Ramat HaSahron3–1Eighth roundBeitar Jerusalem2–1
Hapoel Rishon LeZion2–1Round of 16Hapoel Haifa1–0
Hapoel Kfar Saba3–0Quarter-finals first legBnei Yehuda Tel Aviv2-2
Hapoel Kfar Saba2–0Quarter-finals second legBnei Yehuda Tel Aviv4-1
Bnei Sakhnin F.C.3–2Semi-finalsHapoel Be'er Sheva3–1

Details

Maccabi Tel Aviv0–1Maccabi Haifa
Obraniak 36'
Maccabi Tel AvivMaccabi Haifa
GK 95 Serbia Predrag Rajković RB 2 Israel Eli Dasa CB 18 Israel Eitan Tibi CB 24 Spain Carlos García 83' LB 22 Israel Avi Rikan DM 4 Bosnia and Herzegovina Haris Medunjanin 90' CM 6 Israel Gal Alberman 71' LM 40 Nigeria Nosa Igiebor 76' CF 7 Israel Eran Zahavi (c) RW 15 Israel Dor Micha 32' CF 11 Israel Tal Ben Haim Substitutes: GK 1 Israel Daniel Lifshitz DF 14 Israel Yoav Ziv MF 42 Israel Dor Peretz MF 16 Israel Shlomi Azulay FW 10 Israel Barak Itzhaki 76' MF 45 Israel Eliel Peretz 71' FW 9 Israel Eden Ben Basat 83' Manager: Netherlands Peter BoszGK 38 Serbia Vladimir Stojković RB 27 Israel Eyal Meshumar CB 4 Spain Marc Valiente CB 21 Israel Dekel Keinan 46' LB 13 Israel Taleb Tawatha DM 10 Poland Ludovic Obraniak 36' 56' CM 31 Israel Neta Lavi CM 51 Brazil Romário Pires 90' RW 15 Israel Yossi Benayoun (c) 79' LW 8 Israel Hen Ezra 86' CF 17 Israel Shoval Gozlan 68' Substitutes: GK 1 Israel Ohad Levita DF 2 Israel Ayid Habshi DF 25 Israel Sun Menahem MF 14 Israel Gil Vermouth MF 7 Israel Ofir Kriaf 86' FW 19 Israel Shahar Hirsh 68' FW 11 Israel Ismaeel Ryan 79' 87' Manager: Israel Ronny Levy
GK95Serbia Predrag Rajković
RB2Israel Eli Dasa
CB18Israel Eitan Tibi
CB24Spain Carlos García 83'
LB22Israel Avi Rikan
DM4Bosnia and Herzegovina Haris Medunjanin 90'
CM6Israel Gal Alberman 71'
LM40Nigeria Nosa Igiebor 76'
CF7Israel Eran Zahavi (c)
RW15Israel Dor Micha 32'
CF11Israel Tal Ben Haim
Substitutes:
GK1Israel Daniel Lifshitz
DF14Israel Yoav Ziv
MF42Israel Dor Peretz
MF16Israel Shlomi Azulay
FW10Israel Barak Itzhaki 76'
MF45Israel Eliel Peretz 71'
FW9Israel Eden Ben Basat 83'
Manager:
Netherlands Peter Bosz
GK38Serbia Vladimir Stojković
RB27Israel Eyal Meshumar
CB4Spain Marc Valiente
CB21Israel Dekel Keinan 46'
LB13Israel Taleb Tawatha
DM10Poland Ludovic Obraniak 36' 56'
CM31Israel Neta Lavi
CM51Brazil Romário Pires 90'
RW15Israel Yossi Benayoun (c) 79'
LW8Israel Hen Ezra 86'
CF17Israel Shoval Gozlan 68'
Substitutes:
GK1Israel Ohad Levita
DF2Israel Ayid Habshi
DF25Israel Sun Menahem
MF14Israel Gil Vermouth
MF7Israel Ofir Kriaf 86'
FW19Israel Shahar Hirsh 68'
FW11Israel Ismaeel Ryan 79' 87'
Manager:
Israel Ronny Levy