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Maccabi Tel Aviv and Bnei Sakhnin have met 23 times, and most of the time Maccabi have come out on top. And Saturday?

1 –During the last championship season, 2002/3, Maccabi's first match of the season was against Bnei Sakhnin in a Toto (League) Cup competition that included both the Premiere League and the Championship. It was also the first time in history the two clubs ever met and Maccabi won 3-1.

1 – Shlomi Dora, current Bnei Sakhnin head coach, was head coach at Hapoel Haifa when he first played against Maccabi Tel Aviv in the 2009/10 season and won 3-1. Since then his fortunes have changed, not just there but also at Hapoel Ramat Gan and Bnei Sakhnin – six consecutive defeats.

1 – Only once before have the two clubs met in the 25th round of the Premiere League, in the 2004/5 season. The result: 2-0 for Maccabi courtesy of goals by Baruch Dego and Andreas Prochannkobus.

2 – Maccabi's best result against Bnei Sakhnin (4-0) has been achieved twice: This season in round one (a brace from Eliran Atar and goals from Yoav Ziv and Moannes Dabbur), and in 2010/11 courtesy of goals from Madonianin, Coulatti, Avidor and Atar.

6 – Maccabi have beaten Bnei Sakhnin in their last six encounters. One more this Saturday and a new record of consecutive victories against opposing clubs in the past decade will have been set. Maccabi's all-time longest consecutive run of victories against opposing clubs was set at 11 against Tsafririm Holon in the early years of the 2000's.

12 – With 12 matches left this season Maccabi striker Eliran Atar's 21 goals ranks him seventh all-time highest Maccabi goalscorer in one season: Spiegel '68 and Glazer '55 had 26, Nimni '01 and Marimovitch '50 had 25, Zohar '94 and Glazer '52 had 22.

12 – Eliran Atar has scored more goals against Bnei Sakhnin than against any other club. In 15 matches with both Bnei Yehuda and Maccabi Tel Aviv he's netted 12 goals.

18 – A victory on Saturday will be Maccabi's 18th in 25 matches. In the last 50 years, the club have only won more than 18 in 25 in the 1993/4 season.

23 – The two clubs have met one another 23 times in the league. Maccabi have won thirteen, Bnei Sakhnin three and in seven the two teams drew. Goal difference stands at 46-19 in Maccabi's favour.

Last but not least, one anecdote. Since the championship season of 2002/3, Maccabi have never won a league match after being eliminated from the National Cup competition.

Stats courtesy of Yaron Mishal