Maccabi Tel Aviv beat Ashdod SC 1-0 in the seventh round of this season’s TASE Premier League on Saturday. They have still not conceded a goal and have a 9-0 goal difference.

It’s a rare statistic that provokes thought and calls for a deeper look at the record book.

The win over Ashdod was the first time that the club has maintained seven clean sheets since the start of the season and it surpasses the previous mark of six clean sheets since the start of the season set in 2013-14 when Juan Pablo was in goal for the club. 

If Maccabi keep another clean sheet next week against Hapoel Beersheba, they will set a new league record of eight consecutive matches without conceding since the start of the season. Hapoel Yahud were the first team to make it seven matches at the start of the season in 1981-82 but Maccabi’s record for consecutive clean sheets is already at eight, as they ended last season with a 4-0 win over Hapoel Beersheba.

The overall record for clean sheets during any part of the season is 10, and was set by Maccabi Haifa in 1988-89.

Goalkeeper Daniel Tenenbaum who is Maccabi’s No. 1 ‘keeper and has been between the posts 12 in games, seven this season and five last season. He has kept a clean sheet in ten of those outings, which is an all-time league record for a single goalkeeper.

Chico Ofoedu’s winning goal against Ashdod was his third this season. The Nigerian was also the most dangerous man on the field, as he had five attempts at the Ashdod goal, two of which were on target. 

Andre Geraldes, who set up Ofoedu’s goal with a cross in from the right, was also a potent force as he provided three assists, two of which found Ofoedu.

Dan Glazer was most successful in defence and won the ball 12 times off the opposition, and Dor Micha, who is often at the cutting edge of Maccabi’s attack, this time provided six telling passes through the midfield which began attacks. Four of those were accurate passes.