The rivalry between Maccabi Tel Aviv and Maccabi Haifa is always a mouthwatering fixture and is one of the highlights of any Israeli season. The upcoming match on Wednesday will be the 162nd time that the two teams have met and the current record stands at 66 wins for Maccabi Tel Aviv, 47 draws, and 48 wins for Haifa. The goal difference is 232-201.
In the last five home encounters against Haifa, Maccabi have not conceded a goal, which is a record between the two clubs.
However, Maccabi’s overall record for keeping a clean sheet at home against all opponents stands at seven and has been achieved three times: Against Hapoel Haifa, set in 1958, Hapoel Tel Aviv, set in 1994 and Rishon Letzion, set in 1996.
Maccabi’s playoff record against Haifa
This is the 17th season in which a playoff phase has followed two full regular phases of home and away fixtures against all Premier League opponents and it is a 15th season for both tomorrow’s opponents in the upper playoff section, the most among Israeli teams.
This is also the third time in which both clubs have ended the regular season as the top two clubs and on all three occasions Maccabi have finished ahead of Haifa.
The two outfits have met 19 times in the playoff phase, Maccabi have won nine times, six have been draws and they have lost four.
Under the current league format with 14 clubs begun in 2012-13 with the top six in the upper playoff and the other eight in the lower playoff, Maccabi’s record is six wins and six draws and they have a goal difference of 21-7.
The biggest margin of victory in a playoff fixture between the two clubs was the 6-0 result in 2015-16.
Last season, the first playoff fixture between the two rivals ended as a 1-0 win and it, together with other results on the night, confirmed the championship for Vladimir Ivic’s men.
This season’s showings
Maccabi have headed the standings since the eighth round of the league and Haifa have been in second place for the same period. In the two results so far between the rivals, Maccabi have won 1-0 and 4-3.
On the eve of the third meeting, Maccabi lead the standings by nine points, the biggest margin this season, but Haifa have scored 59 goals, compared to Maccabi’s 50. On the other hand, Maccabi have conceded only seven goals, compared to Haifa’s 22.
