164 –  League encounters against Maccabi Haifa – the most played league encounter. The record: 68 Maccabi victories, 48 draws and 48 victories to Haifa. Goals: 237 for and 203 against.

14 – The longest league run (record) of unbeaten matches Maccabi has against Maccabi Haifa (since January 2017 – 10 wins and 4 draws).

This is the second time Maccabi reaches a run of 14 successive unbeaten matches against Maccabi Haifa with the previous run recorded between March 2013 and May 2016. Maccabi Haifa has an unbeaten run of 10 matches against Maccabi recorded between April 2006 and April 2009.

14 – A record run of matches I succession a Maccabi player hasn’t lost to Haifa. The record is currently held by two players: Eran Zahavi and Avi Rikan who made 14 appearances against Maccabi Haifa without a defeat.

8 – Successive number of victories Maccabi has over the Haifaites at Bloomfield stadium – another amazing record. Maccabi holds a longer run of 10 successive victories over Bnei Sachnin at Bloomfield.

384 is the number of players who appeared for Maccabi against Maccabi Haifa. Sheran Yeini holds the record number of appearances against Maccabi Haifa with 36. Yeini’s record against Haifa is also the all-time Maccabi record of appearances against a certain opponent.

22 – The number of goals Shiye Glazer scored against Maccabi Haifa – the all-time leading scorer against Haifa. Eran Zahavi is ranked with 10 goals while Avi Nimni scored 9 goals against Haifa.

Reinier Robbemond (48), and Dennis Gentenaar (45) were today appointed as Maccabi Tel Aviv’s Assistant and Goalkeeping Coach respectively, and will join Patrick van Leeuwen’s coaching staff.

Maccabi’s Head Coach, Patrick Van Leeuwen, told the club’s official website: “I am pleased to have Reinier and Dennis join our existing professional staff. They have the experience and qualities as coaches to help us achieve our goals for this season.”

Reinier Robbemond, is an experienced coach who spent all his playing and coaching career in Holland working at PSV Eindhoven as a first team Assistant Coach to Mark van Bommel between 2018 – 2019. He began his coaching career in 2009 shortly after his retirement as he joined the Youth Academy of AZ Alkmaar where spent five seasons before joining the Dutch FA as the Assistant coach of the national U-18’s. He returned to AZ as the Head Coach of the U-23’s between 2013-15, was then appointed as Head Coach for second division side FC Oss (15/16). Robbemond, then started at Willem II as Assistant Coach and was promoted to caretaker and Head Coach in 2018 before switching to PSV.

Robbemond made his first footballing footsteps at the youth academies of Dordrecht and Feyenoord before making his senior debut for his boyhood town in 1990. After six seasons at Dordrecht (1990-96) he moved to FC Utrecht (1996-2001) before joining AZ Alkmaar (2001-04). In 2005 Robbemond moved to De Graafschap and having played until 2009 ended his playing career with a total of 29 goals and 412 appearances.

Gentenaar, who last season worked in the United Arab Emirates as GK coach at Abu Dhabi based club Al Wahda FC under Maurice Steijn, Manolo Jimenez and Mark Wotte, previously coached at Ajax Amsterdam’s Youth Academy, AFC Amsterdam. He began his playing career as a goalkeeper with NEC Nijmegen, joined German giants Borussia Dortmund, returned to Holland and played for Ajax Amsterdam, VVV Venlo, Almere City FC, returned to NEC and retired at the end of the 2013/14 season.

Four days before Wednesday’s top of the table clash against Maccabi Haifa, Maccabi recorded an important victory over Maccabi Netanya on Saturday. 

Dor Peretz, will be sidelined from the match as the 25midfielder will serve a one-match touchline-ban said shortly after scoring one of the goals in the 3-1 victory over Netanya. “It will be tough to watch my teammates from the stands especially at such a match, but I full trust them to do the job”, Peretz said after the game. “It was freezing on the pitch tonight, one of the coldest matches I ever played in but what managed to warm our hearts was our performance especially during 75-80 minutes. We were ready, committed and did what we had to do. The goal was only a little added bonus to a great team effort”.

 

 

Pre – Match

Maccabi Tel Aviv return to action after the imposed two week break due to the lockdown as they faced Maccabi Netanya on MD16. Maccabi’s coach Patrick van Leeuwen was forced to make several changes from the side which was held to a 0-0 draw by Bnei Yehuda in the previous match.

Shahar Piven kept his place on the right side of defense with Sheran Yeini and Louis Hernandez as the two central defenders while Enric Saborit completed the four-man-defensive line on the left. In the absence of Dan Glazer who is still recovering from an injury, Eden Kartzev, kept his place as the anchorman with Dor Peretz and Eyal Golasa completing the midfield trio.

Tal Ben Chaim and Yonatan Cohen were named as the two wingers in support of Itay Schechter who led the strike force against one of his former clubs. Aleksandar Pesic and Maor Kandil, who are both nursing injuries were left out of the squad. Andreas Geraldes on the other hand waited on the substitutes bench to make his second debut for the Maccabi since rejoining from APOEL Nicosia.

First Half

It took Maccabi 16 minutes to launch the first serious threat on Netanya’s goal as Dor Peretz picked Shahar Piven unmarked down the right flank. Piven whipped in a low cross into the path of Yonatan Cohen who miskicked his shot before a defender cleared the ball for a corner.

Maccabi continued dominating the play as three minutes later Itay Shechter broke into the area from the right before Netanya’s defense attempted to clear. Maccabi’ pressure on Netanya’s defense saw the ball fall to Dor Peretz who broke into the area but the ball was cleared for a corner. In the 24th minute however Maccabi’s dominance paid off as Tal Ben Chaim sent a cross into the box, Shechter chested the ball down and Yonatan Cohen blasted a right foot shot that beat Dani Amos to break the deadlock.

Having scored the earliest goal of the season, Maccabi came close to double the lead a minute after the half hour mark as Ben Chaim cut into the area, but his shot sailed over the crossbar.

In the 37th minute however, Daniel Tenenbaum sent a ling clearance which eluded Kellian van der Kaap before Peretz ghosted past the Dutch defender and sent a chip over the advancing keeper to make it 2-0.

Eyal Golasa came close to double the score in the 39th minute but with Amos beaten by his his shot, the post denied him from replicating the goal he scored against Netanya earlier this season.

Second Half

Netanya’s coach Raymond Atteveld made a double change at the restart as Roi Korin and Ido Vaier were introduced. But in the 54th minute, van Leeuwen was forced to make a change of his own as Cohen limped off and was replaced by Eduardo Guereero. Ben Chaim came close to score the third two minutes later as he curled a right foot shot which struck Amos’ woodwork once again.

Van Leeuwen made a double change on 63 as Golasa and Ben Chaim bowed out and were replaced by Dan Biton and Eylon Almog. The two subs combined well five minutes later as Almog released Biton into the area, before his left foot shot was save by Amos for a corner.

Ofir Davidzada and Matan Hozez replaced both Enric Saborit and Shechter for the final 15 minutes. In the 77th minute, Biton curled a free kick which crept to the wrong side of Amos’ post. But within a minute, three of the substitutes combined to increase Maccabi’s lead in style. Almog fed Hozez who charged forward and sent a square ball which Guerrero side footed home to make it 3-0.

Kevaaughn Frater cut the deficit in the 81st minute as his shot beat Tenenbaum to make it 3-1. Almog came close to score the fourth in the 85th minute as Piven’s cross was headed by the young striker over the crossbar. At the opposite end, Tenenbaum was forced to a last gasp save to deny Ben Ajubel on 86.