Hapoel Tel Aviv went top of Europa League Group C, on goal difference from Hamburg, by thumping previous leaders Rapid Vienna.

The hosts had a battle on their hands in a well-contested first half but added four goals without reply after the break to bank the points.

Following a scrappy but even opening 15 minutes, Rapid's Nikica Jelavic's 12-yard shot was the first clear chance, but went wide.

Jelavic soon tried his luck again from inside the area and was within inches of opening the scoring with a shot which hit the post.

Markus Katzer then forced a save out of Vince Enyeama with a cross-shot in the 27th minute as the Austrians began to dominate.

That pattern was interrupted, however, when, under pressure from Itay Shechter, defender Andreas Dober beat his own goalkeeper Helge Payer with an attempted clearance from 12 yards to put Hapoel 1-0 up just before the half-hour.

The lead lasted barely two minutes, Rapid replying when Stefan Hoffmann beat Enyeama with a neat shot.

Jelavic fluffed a clear-cut chance to put the visitors in front, heading tamely against a post from inside the box.

Gil Vermouth's shot at the other end cleared the bar in the 37th minute and then Branko Boskovic headed over for Rapid.

Payer was the first goalkeeper in action at the start of the second half, parrying Bebars Natcho's free-kick, and Samuel Yeboah ought to have made him work harder but scuffed his 51st-minute shot.

Hapoel were nonetheless starting to take control and had their reward in the 54th minute when Zurab Menteshashvili's unerring left-footed shot from the edge of the area beat Payer.

The Israelis had to wait only another five minutes to go further in front, Schechter on target with a right-foot shot into the bottom corner from just outside the area.

Hoffmann was wide with a shot from distance as Rapid tried to summon a significant response, but Hapoel were on top and Payer had to be alert to punch a Yeboah shot to safety.

It was no surprise therefore when Vermouth provided a smooth finish, right-footed from inside the penalty area in the 70th minute.

And just before the final whistle, substitute Maaran Lala made it 5-1 from close range.

Teams:

Hapoel Tel-Aviv Enyeama, Bondarv, Douglas, Yadin, Ben Dayan,Vermouth, Natcho, Menteshashvili, Shechter (Merey 87),Yeboah (Lala 77), Vucicevic (Zahavi 81).

Subs Not Used: Yanko, Kende, Huta, Shish.

Booked: Yeboah, Menteshashvili, Vermouth.

Goals: Dober 30 og, Menteshashvili 54, Shechter 59,

Vermouth 70, Lala 90.

Rapid Vienna Payer, Dober (Salihi 67), Soma, Patocka, Katzer,Trimmel (Kulovits 74), Pehlivan, Hoffmann,Boskovic (Jovanovic 71), Kavlak, Jelavic.

Subs Not Used: Hedl, Schosswendtner, Drazan, Konrad.

Goals: Hoffmann 32.

Att: 13,000

Ref: Kristinn Jakobsson (Iceland).