Forty league encounters took place so far between Maccabi Tel Aviv and Ironi Kiryat Shmona. Of these 40 league matches Maccabi won 23, Kiryat Shmona won 9 and 8 other matches were draw with the goal tally currently stands on 60 – 42.

Of the 21 matches Maccabi hosted Kiryat Shmona 15 were won, 2 were lost and 4 were drawn with a goal tally of 46 for and 16 against.

Ever since the 2012/13 season when the foreign coaches began taking charge of the team Maccabi are unbeaten at home against Kiryat Shmona winning 12 and drawing twice.

No less than 11 penalties were awarded in all the league matches between the two sides 7 for Maccabi and 4 to Kiryat Shmona. All the spot kicks were successfully converted to become the only fixture in Israeli football history which has a 100% success record from the spot out of more than 10 penalties.

Maccabi’s veteran captain Sheran Yeini holds the record of appearances against Kiryat Shmona featuring in 25 matches.

Eran Zahavi is Maccabi’s leading scorer against Kiryat Shmona with 12 goals to his name.

Over the years, 22 players featured for both clubs in league. Idan Nachmias is the only member in the current squad to have played at Kiryat Shmona in the past. Kiryat Shmona on the other hand have three players in Roi Kehat, Yoav Hofmayster and Noam Cohen.

The record of Kiryat Shmoan’s coach, Menachem Koretzki, against Maccabi is 13 defeats, 1 victory and 1 drawn (whilst at Ironi Ramat Hasharon, Hapoel Ra’anana and Hapoel Hadera).

The IPFL published on Wednesday the confirmed dates and kick-off times of the remaining fixtures until the end of the first league round.

A week after hosting Kiryat Shmona at Bloomfield stadium on MD3 (Saturday 18:00), Maccabi who focus their attention on the domestic league following the European elimination. Vladimir Ivic’s charges travel on MD4 to Ashdod (10.9 at 20:15) for the first three Saturday fixtures.

Beitar Jerusalem arrive at Bloomfield on MD5 (17.9 at 20:30) with Maccabi returning from the international break for a trip to Sammy Ofer on MD6  where they face Maccabi Haifa (1.10 at 20:30). The Tel Aviv derby returns to Bloomfield stadium as Maccabi host Hapoel on MD7 for a Monday match (10.10 at 20:30) before traveling to Doha stadium on MD8 for a match against Bnei Sakhnin on Saturday (15.10 at 20:15).

Maccabi host Maccabi Netanya at Bloomfield on MD9 (24.10 at 20:30) before a trip down south to Turner stadium for a match against Hapoel Be’ersheva on MD10 (31.10 at 20:30). Maccabi return to Bloomfield stadium on MD11 for a match against newly promoted side Sektzia Ness Ziona which will be an early Saturday kickoff (5.11 at 15:00). Three days later Maccabi will travel to Teddy stadium for a MD12 midweek fixture away to Hapoel Jerusalem (8.11 at 20:15) before hosting Hapoel Haifa at Bloomfield stadium on Saturday (12.11 at 19:30) for MD13 which will conclude the first league round.

With the FIFA World Cup in Qatar kicking off on November 20^th, all domestic campaigns then go into an imposed international break as the Israeli ONE ZERO Digital Bank League is set to return to action in the weekend of December 17^th.

ONE ZERO Digital Bank League fixtures:

MD 4 September 10^th Ashdod SC vs Maccabi Tel Aviv (20:15)

MD 5 September 17^th Maccabi Tel Aviv vs Beitar Jerusalem (20:30)

MD 6 October 1^st Maccabi Haifa vs Maccabi Tel Aviv (20:30)

MD 7 October 10^th Maccabi Tel Aviv vs Hapoel Tel Aviv (20:30)

MD 8 October 15^th Bnei Sakhnin vs Maccabi Tel Aviv (20:15)

MD 9 October 24^th Maccabi Tel Aviv vs Maccabi Netanya (20:30)

MD 10 October 31^st Hapoel Be’ersheva vs Maccabi Tel Aviv (20:30)

MD 11 November 5^th Maccabi Tel Aviv vs Sektzia Nes Ziona (15:00)

MD 12 November 8^th Hapoel Jerusalem vs Maccabi Tel Aviv (20:15)

MD 13 November 12^th Maccabi Tel Aviv vs Hapoel Haifa (19:30)

MD 14 December 17^th Bnei Reineh vs Maccabi Tel Aviv (TBA)

MD 15 December 24^th Maccabi Tel Aviv vs Hapoel Hadera (TBA)

MD 16 December 31^st Ironi Kiryat Shmona vs Maccabi Tel Aviv (TBA)

MD 17 January 7^th Maccabi Tel Aviv vs Ashdod SC (TBA)

MD 18 January 14^th Beitar Jerusalem vs Maccabi Tel Aviv (TBA)

MD 19 January 21^st Maccabi Tel Aviv vs Maccabi Haifa (TBA)

MD 20 January 28^th Hapoel Tel Aviv vs Maccabi Tel Aviv (TBA)

MD 21 February 4^th Maccabi Tel Aviv vs Bnei Sakhnin (TBA)

MD 22 February 11^th Maccabi Netanya vs Maccabi Tel Aviv (TBA)

MD 23 February 18^th Maccabi Tel Aviv vs Hapoel Be’ersheva(TBA)

MD 24 February 25^th Sektzia Nes Ziona vs Maccabi Tel Aviv (TBA)

MD 25 March 4^th Maccabi Tel Aviv vs Hapoel Jerusalem (TBA)

MD 26 March 11^th Hapoel Haifa vs Maccabi Tel Aviv (TBA)

Playoffs:

MD 27 March 18^th

MD 28 April 1^st

MD 29 April 4^th

MD 30 April 8^th

MD 31 April 15^th

MD 32 April 22^nd

MD 33 April 29^th

MD 34 May 6^th

MD 35 May 13^th

MD 36 May 20^th

Two victories at the start of the season with 11 goals scored and none conceded is the best start to a season in the clubs’ history.

Maccabi scored four goals after 25 minutes, something which happened only 8 times in the league’s history. Maccabi did this only once in the past during a 12-0 victory over Hapoel Balfouria in 1955.

Only four clubs scored 3 goals in the space of four minutes, with Maccabi doing so once in a 6-0 win over Beitar Tel Aviv in the 1992/93 season. Meir Melika (18), Nir Klinger (19) and Avi Nimni (21) all scored within 4 minutes.

Of the 71 seasons since the State of Israel was founded, this is the 21^st season that Maccabi begins a season with 2 victories. Since the 2016/17 season and including the two seasons under Vadimir Ivic (2018/19 and 2019/20) Maccabi didn’t start a season with 2 victories.

Maccabi Tel Aviv’s class of 1951/52 – a 9-1 victory over Maccabi Rishon Lezion and a 2-2 draw against Maccabi Rehovot, was the last team to score 11 goals in the opening two league matches.

The 6-0 victory over Hapoel Hadera which came on the back of the 5-0 victory over Maccabi Bnei Reineh was the first time in Israeli history that a club began the first two matches in double figures and a clean sheet.

Maccabi is the second club ever to score four first half goals in two successive matches. The first was Hapoel Petah Tikva in October 1955.

Over the past 20 seasons, Maccabi recorded a 6-0 league victory only once, against Maccabi Haifa in the 2015/16 season. This was Eran Zahavi’s final league match before leaving the club and moving abroad.

Monday’s victory over Hadera in Netanya was the sixth time in succession Maccabi beat their opponents whilst keeping a clean sheet.

The 11 goals Maccabi scored in the league are shared between seven players. Djordje Jovanovic (3), Oscar Gloukh (2), Stipe Perica (2), Eran Zahavi, Avi Rikan, Enric Saborit and Dor Peretz.  Seven different scorers after two league matches equals the league’s record Maccabi set in 1955 and Maccabi Haifa equaled in 2003.

Dor Peretz returned to Israel and rejoined Maccabi Tel Aviv earlier this month after one season at Italian club Venezia. At the end of Maccabi’s league match against Hapoel Hadera in Netanya, where Peretz scored a 90^th minute goal to seal an emphatic 6-0 victory he said: “There are several personas who arrived here with loads of experience. Nir (Bitton), and Eran (Zahavi) who returned, a coach  with an extra ordinary personality. Many good players in Parfait Guiagon and Oscar Gloukh who are very talented, but all in all we have a very hungry squad. Experience and talent don’t reflect on some sort of hunger, we saw this in the first matches which is something that makes me happier than anything else because a hungry team will lead us to achievements. Talent and experience is not enough but only hunger will take us as far as possible”.

A product of Maccabi’s Youth Academy, Peretz, who besides a short loan spell at Hapoel Haifa spent all his playing career at the club, spoke of his decision to return to Maccabi: “At the end of the day, I left a home and knew that one day I will return, but never knew at what stage. It happened earlier than I expected but I arrived at a home and the place I feel most complete and happy to be at. I took me a while to reach this decision because I wanted to continue my dream and keep playing in Europe. On the other hand Maccabi Tel Aviv is a European club which is something I took into account when considering all the other offers”.

When asked about Maccabi’s young starlet, Oscar Gloukh, Peretz added with a smile: “I am knew here, knew to this phenomenon which is called Oscar Gloukh – certainly something irregular to the Israeli scene. We are fortunate enough that he plays at our club and we keep nurturing him and help him develop. We are giving him all the tools to keep his feet on the ground, but on the other hand allow him show his ability big time. I just wish he continues to do it and reach as far as he can”.

Preview

Four days after returning from Nice having missed out on a place in the Conference League Group Stages, Maccabi Tel Aviv arrived at the Netanya stadium for the match against Hapoel Hadera knowing that the league will be their main focus this season. The draining 120 minutes played at the Allianz Riviera stadium in Nice claimed its toll on Vladimir Ivic’s players, as the Serbian coach made several changes to his starting line-up in a bid to continue the perfect record achieved in last week’s 5-0 win over newly promoted side Bnei Reineh.

Daniel Peretz whose run of good form was evident during the entire European campaign, kept his place in goal. Shahar Piven who played 90 minutes against Bnei Reineh and was rested in Nice, returned to the starting line-up as one of Ivic’s three central defenders. Piven was named alongside Nir Bitton and Enric Saborit who both played a 120 minutes in France on Thursday as did Ofir Davidzada who kept his place as the left wing-back. Maor Kandil who started against Bnei Reineh completed Maccabi’s back-line as the right wing-back. Dan Glazer led the team out wearing the captain’s armband from his position as the midfield anchorman with Parfait Guiagon on the right side of the midfield engine room. Oscar Gloukh who started against Bnei Reineh and set-up one of the goals before impressing during his cameo appearance in Nice, swapped the number 37 jersey with the number 11 jersey as the youngster featured at the top of the midfield trio. A week after scoring a brace against Bnei Reineh, Djordje Jovanovic led the line aiming to add to his tally, with Eran Zahavi partnering the Serbian striker upfront.

Alongside goalkeeper Daniel Tenenbaum, Ivic named Dan Biton, Gabi Kanichowsky, Brandley Kuwas, Sheran Yeini, Avi Rikan, Dor Turgeman, Dor Peretz and Matan Hozez all waiting for their chance to make an impact.

First Half

Hapoel Hadera began the match aggressively trying to intimidate Maccabi right from the start as Enric Saborit required medical treatment following a Menashe Zalka tackle from behind in the third minute. The Spanish defender was back on his feet to rejoin his teammates as Maccabi enjoyed the majority of possession in the opening stages.

Dia Lababidi avoided a booking for a rough tackle from behind on Oscar Gloukh near the halfway line in the 15th minute. But a minute later the 18-year-old Maccabi playmaker set-up the opener for Eran Zahavi who span on the edge of the area and scored his first league goal since leaving Israel six years ago.

The hosts were stunned by the opener and within a minute Maccabi doubled their lead as Zahavi won the ball inside Hadera’s half, released Djordje Jovanovic whose square ball fell to Gloukh before the youngster slotted home past Robi Levkovich. Hadera were shell-shocked and Maccabi continued their blitz and scored a third goal in the space of four minutes. Maoer Kandil, who miscued several crosses earlier on, carved Hadera’s defence with a through ball to Zahavi whose flick released Parfait Guiagon. The Ivorian raced into the area and had his initial shot saved by Levkovich before Gloukh pounced on the rebound and two minutes after openin g his league account bagged his second and Maccabi’s third.

The 8000 Maccabi fans who traveled to Netanya and occupied the majority of the stadium were in a state of complete delirium on 25 as Saborit joined the goal-fest to complete eight minutes of footballing madness. Gloukh once again played a key role in the build-up as he cut the ball back for Zahavi who sent Saborit clear through before the Spaniard slid the ball under Levkovich to make it 4-0.

Daniel Peretz was drawn into the action as Maccabi’s custodian was at full stretch to push Zalka’s shot over the crossbar in the 27th minute.

The combination of Gloukh, Zahavi and Jovanovic kept tormenting  Hadera’s players as Maccabi came close to score the fifth on the half hour mark but the Serb was denied by the crossbar. Ivic was forced to make a change on 31 as Nir Bitton felt a groin strain and was replaced by Sheran Yeini. Jovanovic was desperate to get on the scoresheet but his effort was headed off the line by Hadera’s tall defender Jonathan Cisse.

Second Half

With a 4-0 lead at halftime, just like the score at the interval against Bnei Reineh last week, Maccabi emerged unchanged for the second half.

Ivic made a double change three minutes after the hour mark as Maor Kandil bowed out and was replaced by Matan Hozez while Gabi Kanichowsky came in for Guiagon. A Peretz long ball out of defence released Jovanovic who raced clear through in the 67^th but the Serbian forward was unlucky once again as his shot struck the side netting.

Maccabi continued to dominate as four minutes later Jovanovic cut the ball back for Zahavi but the veteran marksman had his shot deflected over the crossbar. Ivic made his final two substitutions as Dor Peretz and Avi Rikan came in for the final 14 minutes replacing both Dan Glazer and Ofir Davidzada.

In the 82^nd minute Jovanovic finally got his goal after Rikan’s attempt of an overhead kick was blocked before the Serbian striker beat Levkovich with a low drive that went in off the post to make it 5-0.

Maccabi scored the sixth goal in the 90^th minute at the end of a move which began with Daniel Peretz in goal and ended with Dor Peretz at the opposite goal. Maccabi’s keeper released a counter attack which was carried by the midfielder for more than half the length of the pitch. Peretz then released Kanichowsky and continued his run into the area before  whose floated cross was headed in by Dor Peretz to open his account and seal the win.