Maccabi Tel-Aviv rematch for Basel

Maccabi Tel-Aviv FC have a score to settle when they take on FC Basel 1893 for the second time this season, on this occasion in the UEFA Europa League round of 32.

Previous meetings
• In their only previous encounter with Israeli opponents, Basel got the better of Maccabi Tel-Aviv in the third qualifying round of the 2013/14 UEFA Champions League.

• Valentin Stocker's goal gave Basel a 1-0 win at home, and they took a 3-0 lead in the return fixture in Tel Aviv, only for Maccabi to bring it back to 3-3 early in the second half.

• The teams for that meeting on 6 August 2013 were:
Maccabi Tel-Aviv: Juan Pablo, Alberman, Zahavi (Margolis 63), Radi, Itzhaki, Ben Haim (Einbinder 74), Ziv (Mikha 35), Tibi, Yeini, Prica, Carlos García.
Basel: Sommer, Degen (Voser 61), Ajeti, Streller (Sauro 55), Stocker, Schär, Safari, Frei, Díaz, Salah (Elneny 75), Xhaka.

• Maccabi Tel-Aviv also lost over two legs to Grasshopper Club in 1995/96 UEFA Champions League qualifying, with their overall record in four games against Swiss clubs W0 D2 L2 (W0 D1 L1 at home – W0 D1 L1 in Switzerland).

Match background
• Maccabi Tel-Aviv are playing in their first springtime UEFA club competition game. This will be their 11th European fixture of the season, making this their longest continental campaign, beating their ten-match 2004/05 UEFA Champions League tilt.

• Maccabi Tel-Aviv have yet to lose in five European home games this season (W3 D2).

• Basel reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Europa League last term – their best performance in a major UEFA club competition, though they played in one of the finals of the 2001 UEFA Intertoto Cup.

• Basel missed out on a UEFA Champions League round of 16 place following a 2-0 loss at FC Schalke 04 on matchday six.

Team facts
• Basel midfielder Matías Delgado can make his 50th UEFA club competition appearance on matchday seven.

• Maccabi Tel-Aviv and Basel are among nine domestic champions in the round of 32 along with AFC Ajax (Netherlands), Juventus (Italy), PFC Ludogorets Razgrad (Bulgaria), NK Maribor (Slovenia), FC Viktoria Plzeň (Czech Republic), FC Porto (Portugal) and FC Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine).

Coach information
• Maccabi Tel-Aviv's Portuguese coach Paulo Sousa famously won back-to-back UEFA Champions League titles with different clubs – Juventus (1995/96) and Borussia Dortmund (1996/97). The defensive midfielder also reached the semi-finals of UEFA EURO 2000 with Portugal. He coached a series of English league clubs before leading Videoton FC in the 2012/13 UEFA Europa League, and was hired as Maccabi coach in June 2013.

• Capped 49 times as a central defender by Switzerland, coach Murat Yakin was born in Basel but started his playing career with Grasshopper Club. He played for VfB Stuttgart and Fenerbahçe SK, but finished his career at Basel – where his brother Hakan Yakin also played. He got his first senior coaching appointment in 2009, leading FC Thun and later FC Luzern before taking charge of Basel and leading them to the 2012/13 Swiss title – his sixth in total following five triumphs as a player.

Round of 16
• The winners of this tie will meet AFC Ajax or FC Salzburg in the round of 16, playing the first leg at home.

• Maccabi Tel-Aviv met Ajax in the 2004/05 UEFA Champions League group stage, losing 3-0 in Amsterdam but winning 2-1 in Israel. They have never faced Salzburg.

• Basel encountered Ajax in the second round of the 1970/71 European Champion Clubs' Cup, succumbing 3-0 at home and 2-1 away, with the Dutch side going on to win the competition. Basel have never met Salzburg.