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Ten things you didn't know about one of the most anticipated encounters in the history of Israeli football, Maccabi Tel Aviv versus Maccabi Haifa

1 – One match between the two sides was never finished. Towards the end of the 2000/01 season, with Maccabi Haifa on the verge of becoming champions and leading the match 3-2 at Haifa's Kiryat Eliezer Stadium, Maccabi Tel Aviv was awarded a technical victory after Maccabi Haifa supporters burst out on to the pitch to celebrate in the 82nd minute.

2 – This is the second time since the 1991/92 season that Maccabi Tel Aviv has lead the league table at the end of the series of regular season matches. The last time this occurred, the playoff matches with the then second-placed club, Bnei Yehuda, ended in a 1-1 home draw and a 3-2 away victory with goals from striker Eli Driks and midfielders Nir Klinger and Itzik Zohar.

2.7 – is the average number of goals scored in matches between Maccabi Tel Aviv and Maccabi Haifa. This is the highest goal-scoring average in Maccabi Tel Aviv's encounters with any club they've played more than 80 times in the league.

3 – Three times in the past, in the 94/95, 95/96 and 02/03 seasons, Maccabi Tel Aviv have played Maccabi Haifa as league leaders with their northern namesakes in second position. In the 1993/94 and 2003/4 seasons, the roles were reversed.

4 – Maccabi Tel Aviv have not conceded in their last four league matches. Their record for consecutive league clean sheets is six and they've done it in five different seasons, the last time in 1991/92, with Alexander Obarov standing between the Maccabi Tel Aviv uprights.

8 – For the past eight seasons Maccabi Tel Aviv have not defeated Maccabi Haifa twice in one season, a run that may end this season.

18 – In the entire history of the Israeli national squad, Maccabi Tel Aviv have provide 18% of their players, more than any other club in the league. Maccabi Haifa are in second place with 17%.

22 – With 22 goals, Maccabi Tel Aviv striker Yehoshua Glazer is the club's top all-time scorer against Maccabi Haifa. In second place is Aviv Nimni with 9 while Eli Driks and Jerusalemite Avi Cohen are tied in third with 8.

135 – is the number of league encounters between the two clubs so far. Tel Aviv have won 49, Haifa 39 and 39 matches have ended in a draw. Each side have scored 182 goals against their opponent.

11,700 – is the average attendance at league matches between these two giants. Only Maccabi Tel Aviv's derby matches against Hapoel Tel Aviv and those against Beitar Jerusalem have on average drawn more spectators.

 

Courtesy of Yaron Meshal