Maccabi Tel Aviv open the 22nd round of TASE Premier League action on Monday and it will be the first time ever that they launch a round of matches on this day. Usually, Monday is reserved for the highlighted fixture of the round, but we are beginning a mid-week series of league fixtures.
On 13 occasions, however, Maccabi have opened a round when matches were also played on a Friday ahead of the main day of action, Saturday.
These two sides have met on 17 occasions in the league. Maccabi have won 14 times, there has been one draw and Ra’anana have won twice. The goal difference is 37-7. When Maccabi are the home team, the record is six wins for the hosts against two losses.
The success rate against our opponents is 84 percent, higher than against any other opponents that Maccabi have played at least 12 times in the league.
Striker Tal Ben Haim was the most prolific scorer against Ra’anana, with six goals, Eran Zahavi is second with four.
The first meeting between the two sides was in 1999 when Maccabi beat their opponents 3-1 in extra time in the State Cup. The goals were scored by Alon Ophir, Eli Driks and Ophir Haim. Ra’anana were then a third division team.
Current captain Sheran Yeini has a special record against Monday’s rivals — a 100 percent record of seven wins in seven appearances. He is the only active player to have met them more than five times.
Yeini scored the longest goal from distance against these opponents, 24 metres, in the 3-0 win over them in 2009-10.
A rarely remembered stat is that central defender Eitan Tibi once turned out for Ra’anana when they played in the second division in 2007-08.
Monas Dabbur scored the quickest goal against Ra’anana in 2013-14 when he netted after 34 seconds. It was Maccabi’s seventh fastest league goal ever.
