Israeli record holder returns to the Playoff

Israel’s Playoff appearance record holder

Of the 13 seasons since the penultimate round has been named by UEFA as the final stage before the group phase, this is the 10^th time since 2009/10 season Maccabi reaches the Playoffs.

Maccabi is the record appearance holder at this stage, as Hapoel Be’ersheva and Maccabi Haifa will compete for the fourth time to level to match Hapoel Tel Aviv’s number of Playoff appearances.  

Maccabi Tel Aviv successfully advanced past the Champions League Playoff on the way to the group phase: FC Basel (2015/16) and four times to reach the Europa League group stages: Panathinaikos (2011/12), Hajduk Split (2016/17) Altach (2017/18) as well as Metalist Kharkiv (2013/14) at a tie which didn’t take place as the Ukrainians were disqualified.

Yeini’s record

Sheran Yeini played in Maccabi’s first Playoff match away to Paris Saint Germain (2-0 defeat in Paris) which took place exactly 11 years ago on August 19^th 2010. The same date Maccabi will face Shakhter Karagandy for the first leg in Astana.

Over the years, the veteran skipper played in no less than 11 European playoff matches with Maccabi.

Fourteen different Maccabi players scored in the Playoff stage, with Eliran Atar leading the list having scored 5 goals.

Maccabi’s record against teams from Kazakhstan

The tie against Shakhter Karagandy will Maccabi’s third encounter against teams from Kazakhstan.

In the 2016/17 campaign Maccabi knocked Kairat Almaty in a Europa League qualifier. Yossi Benayoun scored a late equaliser on the way to a 1-1 draw in Kazakhstan while Tal Ben Chaim and Gal Alberman scored a goal each as Maccabi won the return leg 2-1 in Netanya to advance to the 3^rd qualifying round.

Maccabi played Astana in the Europa League group stages of the 2017/18 campaign, losing twice (4-0 in Kazakhstan and 1-0 in Netanya).

Overall, 19 matches took place between teams from Kazakshtan and Israel as the record favours teams from Israel who won 8, drawn 6 and lost 5.

On this day: the 2-2 draw against Basel and the European debut

August 19^th returns us to two landmark dates in Maccabi’s history:

19.08.1992 Maccabi Tel Aviv made their debut appearance in European competitions recording a 2-1 victory over Malta’s FC  Valletta (Goals from Avi Cohen (Jerusalem) and Avi Nimni).

19.08.2015 Maccabi recorded the memorable 2-2 draw against Basel in Switzerland with Eran Zahavi completing a brace in the 96^th minute of the first leg to pave the way into the Champions League group stages.