This is the 21st season in the league’s history where the Playoff is played at the end of the regular season. Maccabi will feature for the 19th time in succession at the top Playoff – more than any other club in the league. Maccabi played in the bottom Playoff only twice – during the inauguration season and the following season (1987/88 and 1988/89).
Maccabi won six league championships under the Playoff system: 1991/92, 2012/13, 2014/15, 2018/19 and 2019/20.
Saturday’s opponents Bnei Sakhnin faced Maccabi in the Playoff during five seasons. The record currently stands on 5 victories, 2 draws and 2 defeats with a total goal tally of 17-7.
This is the 12th season that the current Playoff system is played under the current format (since the 2012/13 campaign). This is longest period a league format is kept in Israel’s footballing history.
Since the 2012/13 season Maccabi’s record in 110 Playoff matches currently stands on 58 victories, 33 draws and 19 defeats with a total goal record of 181-95.
Up until this season, under the current league format, Maccabi ended the regular season (MD26) in the following positions: 1st place: 5 times, 2nd place: 3 times, 3rd place: 3 times.
Only during the 2017/18 season Maccabi changed positions between the regular season and the end of the Playoff ending MD26 in 3rd and MD36 as runners-up.
Maccabi kicked off all its’ past 11 seasons in the Playoff with a home match as their record currently stands on: 8 victories, 2 draws and 1 defeat with a total goal tally of 16-4.
The 2018/19 and 2019/20 seasons were Maccabi’s best Playoff campaigns with 23 points of a possible 30 in each – 7 wins, 2 draws and 1 defeat.
Sheran Yeini made the most appearances for Maccabi in the Playoffs as the veteran club captain featured in 70 Playoff matches throughout his career.
Eran Zahavi leads the goal scorers list in Playoff matches as the 36-year-old striker has 36 goals to his name.
