PARIS
vs
The Maccabi Haifa
Founded in 1913 in the city of Haifa, Maccabi Haifa is an Israeli club, resident in the Ligat Habursa Leniyarot Erech. The club maintains a rivalry with the other team of the city, Hapoel Haifa, in a derby called "Haifa Derby".
In 2002, Maccabi Haifa became the first Israeli club to participate in the Champions League group stage. In Group F, the Green and White achieved notable performances, with 3-0 wins over Laurent Blanc's Manchester United and Christian Karembeu's Olympiakos.
In the 2021-22 season, on the occasion of the 80th edition of the Israeli championship, the club won the championship title as well as the League Cup.
PSG against Maccabi Haifa
Many Red and Blue fans remember the confrontation between Paris Saint-Germain and Maccabi Haifa in the 1999 Cup Winners' Cup. After a 1-1 draw at the Parc, the Red and Blue lost the return match by 3 goals to 2. The Green and White then were defeated in the Round of 8 against Lokomotiv Moscow.
Following the draw made on August 25, 2022, the two teams are in Group H, alongside Juventus and Benfica Lisbon.
On the first leg in Israel, the Red and Blue won 3 - 1 with goals from Neymar, Messi and Mbappe. The second leg at Parc des Princes, on October 25, 2022, will be oneof the historic moments of Paris Saint-Germain. By winning 7 - 2, the Red and Blue matched the best offensive performance of the club in Champions League.
Players to follow Duel
Arriving at Paris Saint-Germain in 2005 at the age of 10, Presnel Kimpembe has since never left the Red and Blue, taking it to the next level until the first team. His first appearance with the pro group dates back to August 12, 2014, during the Champions Trophy against En Avant Guingamp. Six years later, as a symbol of his success, he was named in the 2020 Champions League Team of the Year. As much appreciated for his footballing qualities as for his personality on and off the pitch, he also occupies a spiritual role of big brother to the Parisian titis.
Born on March 29, 1995, in Cap-Haitien, Haiti, Frantzdy Pierrot is a Haitian player playing in the forward position. He moved to the United States at the age of 12 and followed his junior training in the country of Uncle Sam, before signing his first professional contract in 2018 with Mouscron. A year later, he joined En Avant Guingamp, then in Ligue 2. Transferred to Maccabi Haifa on July 1, 2022, he was one of the great architects of the club's qualification for the Champions League, scoring twice against Olympiakos, once against Limassol and again twice against Red Star Belgrade.
The Sammy Ofer Stadium
Opened on August 27, 2014, the Sammy-Ofer Stadium is the official stadium of Maccabi Haifa. It is named after the Israeli businessman who helped finance the construction of the stadium. With a capacity of over 30,000 seats, it is classified as a category 4 stadium by UEFA.
The stadium is also used by Hapoel Haifa, as well as by the Israeli national team, which won here against Scotland in 2018, and against Austria in 2021.
In the 2022/23 season, Maccabi had won home against Juventus (2 - 0); Hapoel Tel-Aviv (5 - 2) and Red Star Belgrade (3 - 2).
