The Champions League 2nd qualifying round first leg against FCSB Steaua Bucharest will be Maccabi’s 25th European season. This will also be Maccabi’s 12th successive European campaign which just like the total number of seasons is more than any other Israeli side.
Maccabi played 181 European matches winning 79, losing 62 with 40 matches ending in a draw with a total goal tally of 253-218.
Maccabi featured in the Champions league qualification campaign 10 teams and were successful on two attempts reaching group phase twice (2004/05 and 2015/16).
On 19 occasions Maccabi advanced past their first opponent and were knocked out after 5 double headed attempts.
Eran Zahavi is Maccabi’s leading scorer in European competitions with 30 goals to his name. Zahavi’s goal tally in European competitions for Israeli sides currently stands of 35 as he scored 5 goals whilst with Hapoel Tel Aviv which places him as the top scorer for Israeli sides in Europe. Zahavi’s total goal tally in Europe stands on 51 as he scored 16 more goals whilst at Dutch club PSV Eindhoven.
Baruch Dego, is the only player to score a hattrick for Maccabi in the first game and Nosa Igiebor – scored the most goals (3) in our opening match.
Steaua Bucharest will be Maccabi’s 84th opponent in European competitions.
Romania’s Champions faced Maccabi Haifa twice in the EUROPA League group phase in 2012. Haifa won the math in Israel by 5-0 and suffered a 4-2 defeat in Bucharest. Steaua also faced Hapoel Be’ersheva in the Europa League group phase of 2018 with Be’ersheva wining 2-1 at Turner with the match in Bucharest ending in a 1-1 draw.
