Maccabi continue their Europa League campaign and today (Wednesday) flew to Serbia ahead of their home match against Midtjylland in the third round of the group stage.

Earlier this morning, the team held its final training session at the Kiryat Shalom training complex, and later headed to Ben Gurion Airport, from where the flight to Belgrade departed. This evening, Maccabi’s Head Coach Zarko Lazetic will hold his pre-match press conference ahead of the match which will be played at TSC Arena in Bačka Topola.

Maccabi enter the clash after beginning their campaign with a 0–0 draw in Greece against PAOK Thessaloniki, followed by a 3–1 defeat in Serbia to Dinamo Zagreb. The Danes, on the other hand, started the competition with a 2–0 win over Sturm Graz and then stunned Nottingham Forest with a 3–2 victory in England.

Almost 94 years ago, on December 19^th 1931, the first-ever match between Maccabi Tel Aviv and Hapoel Tel Aviv was played as part of the Eretz Israel league.

The match, held at the Maccabiah Stadium in front of 5,000 spectators, ended in a 1–1 draw. Shmuel Bachar scored for Maccabi while Avraham Nudelman was on target for Hapoel.

Since the first derby, 232 derbies were played in all competitions of which Maccabi won 96, Hapoel 68 while 68 matches ended in draws with a total goal tally of 321–240.

167 Tel Aviv derbies were played in the league since the State of Israel was established with Maccabi winning 62,Hapoel 46 while 59 matches ended in draws. The total goal tally in league matches currently stands on 214–156.

At the end of the 2012/13 season, the record of derby victories was even at 45 victories for each club.

Maccabi’s unbeaten run in the league stretches to 22 derbies, the club’s longest unbeaten run ever against any opponent.

It’s also the fourth-longest unbeaten run in Israeli league history.

The record: 29 matches without a defeat held by Maccabi Haifa against Hapoel Petah Tikva between 1992 and 2003.

Maccabi’s unbeaten run against Hapoel in all competitions stretches to 27 derbies of which Maccabi won 20 and drawn 7 with a goal tally of 62–11.

Hapoel’s last derby victory was on April 26th 2014 some 11 and a half years ago, or 4,194 days.

Since the 1991/92 season, Maccabi faced Hapoel six times in the 7th league round with Maccabi winning 5 of these encounters.

1991/92 (4–0), 1992/93 (4–0), 1993/94 (2–1), 2006/07 (3–1), 2022/23 (3–0).

There was also the abandoned derby in the 7th round of the 2014/15 season.

The first two league derbies after Hapoel’s return from the second division, in 1990/91 and 2018/19, both ended 0–0.

Dor Peretz is Maccabi’s most experienced player in Zarko Lazetic’s squad as the skipper who recently marked his 400^thappearance for the club featured in Tel Aviv derbies more than any of his teammates. The 30-year-old who was still a youth team player when Maccabi suffered their last defeat in a Tel Aviv derby more than 11 years ago back in April 2014. “If we stick to our game principles, keep our heads clear from all the crazy energy that will be on the pitch, we can do our part” Peretz said.

While Maccabi’s unbeaten run at derbies stretches for more than a decade, Peretz would like to see his side return to winning ways after four matches with a victory – two in the domestic league and two in the Europa League. “First and foremost, we want to win after two league matches without a victory,” he said. “It is a match with plenty of pride at stake and the will to win. As a team, we want to give our best in every match, and hopefully we will do that tomorrow. If we stick to the coach’s principles, keep a cool head amid the intense excitement on the field, and make the right decisions, I think we will complete our job.”

Following the promotion of Hapoel back to the top-flight after a year in the second division, Peretz is one of seven squad players who previously featured in Tel Aviv derbies. “We are doing everything we can to explain what the derby is and how important it is to us, to the club, and to the fans. Only derby experience truly shows how important it really is. I can say that there’s a team on the other side that looks good and is doing a solid job, and we need to take that very seriously and prepare just like for any other match.”

On the return of fans Gali and Ziv Berman, as well as Omri Miran who were released from captivity in Gaza, and the desire to bring them joy Peretz said: “I hope we can dedicate this moment to them. This week has been filled with incredibly joyful events on one hand, but also grief for families who are still hoping their children will return instead of having to bury them. Hopefully, we can dedicate a win to them.”

Peretz who scored this season seven goals in all competitions and was deputized in recent matches to a more forward role, added: “I’m here to serve the coach, and I’ll carry out any decision he makes. Of course, we can discuss what suits better or less, but I’m here to do everything I can to help the team. Whatever he decides, I am at his and the team’s service.”

After a two weeks break due to the International calendar, Maccabi will return to the WINNER League action shortly.

Maccabi will step up preparations for Sunday’s Tel Aviv derby which returns after a year absence, as the International players report back and rejoin the rest of the team on Friday.

In the meantime, Zarko Lazetic’s side held an 80-minute-long practice match against second division side Hapoel Kfar Shalem at the Kiryat Shalom training complex on Wednesday morning.

do Shahar scored the only goal of the game in the 9th minute with a strike from the edge of the area.

Maccabi: Roi Mishpati, Noam Ben Harush, Heitor, Raz Shlomo (Itay Ben Hemo 55), Tyrese Asante (Avishay Cohen 55), Kristijan Belic (Yoav Junio 55), Issouf Sissoko (Ben Lederman 55), Ido Shahar, Elad Madmon, Saied Abu Farchi, Osher Davida (Yonas Malede 55).

Roi Mishpati, who had another solid performance in the 1–1 draw against Maccabi Haifa, conceded a dramatic late penalty that denied him from keeping a clean sheet. The controvercial late spot-kick that Djordje Jovanovic successfully converted, also denied Maccabi three valuable points. “Of course there is disappointment, and it is frustrating to concede a penalty in the 90th minute” Mishpati said after the match. “I think we could have finished it earlier with two or three good chances we had, but we were punished for that in the 90th minute.”

The 32-year-old Maccabi keeper reflected on Yigal Frid’s decision to award Haifa a penalty after Ali Camara was judged to have tripped Eitan Azoulay in the box: “I didn’t look at it. On the pitch, it looked like Ali got the ball. I’m not getting into what the referees decided or what they saw.”

“The expectations here are high. We want to win every game, and we do everything we can to win every game,” Mishpati added. “If you look at our recent matches, we have played good football. Sometimes you just miss that bit of luck, and I am sure it will come.”

After a first half in which Haifa were dominant and he was forced to pull a string of good saves to keep his goal locked, Maccabi emerged for the second period a much better side, as Mishpati admitted:  “We didn’t play good football in the first half. In the second, we looked better, created chances, and showed our football. We could have scored a few goals from the opportunities we had. It could be fatigue, it could be the flights or Yom Kippur. We worked hard to earn the right to play in Europe. We have a big and deep squad, we’ll use the break to learn what we did well and what we need to improve.”

On his own recent good form, Mishpati added: “Since the start of the season, I’ve felt confident, that I’m doing the right things, what the club, the team, and the coach expect from me. I felt very good in the first half and in the second as well. I’m happy about the saves I made and that I kept us in the game. Still, I think we could’ve finished it off in the second half.”

Looking ahead to the next fixture, the Tel Aviv derby after the international break, Mishpati said: “A week of rest will help us recover, both those heading to their national teams and those staying here.”

On Maccabi’s style of play that sometimes gets the fans actions with the ball being played from the back between Mishpati and his defenders, the keeper added: “We do our job. Everywhere in the world now, teams focus on the build-up. We don’t just want to launch long balls forward for nothing. We want to build from the back properly, and I think we did that very well today.”

On the Maccabi fans who pushed the team on: “We felt the energy and confidence from the fans. Even during moments of pressure, we stayed composed thanks to them.”

Mishpati then reflected on the team’s hectic schedule, which included fasting, travel, and back-to-back matches: “If you told me we would take all three points today, I would fast another day,” he said with a smile. “But really, it wasn’t easy. We do everything to compete in Europe and in big league matches. For me, it is pure joy, it was a great experience.”