Hapoel Be'er Sheva Draws Juventus Among Eight Opponents in Europa League Group Stage

After being eliminated from the Champions League qualifiers by Sabah, Hapoel Be'er Sheva learned on Friday their eight opponents for the Europa League group stage. The Israeli champions will face several top European clubs, including Italian giant Juventus, in what is expected to be a highlight of their European campaign. Be'er Sheva will host Juventus in Bucharest, as their home matches will not be played in Israel. Besides Juventus, the team will also host Dinamo Zagreb, Celta Vigo, and OFI Crete. Their away matches will be against AZ Alkmaar, Union Saint-Gilloise, Bournemouth, and Besiktas.

The full list of opponents is Juventus (home), AZ Alkmaar (away), Union Saint-Gilloise (away), Dinamo Zagreb (home), Bournemouth (home), Celta Vigo (away), Besiktas (home), and OFI Crete (away). The Europa League format has changed so that there are no traditional groups; each team faces eight different opponents from four seeded tiers, playing four home and four away matches without repeating home or away games against teams from the same tier.

The first round of matches will take place on September 16-17, 2026, and the final round on January 28, 2027. After these matches, the teams advancing to the knockout stages will be determined. The Europa League final is scheduled for May 26, 2027, in Frankfurt. Hapoel Be'er Sheva aims to move past their Champions League disappointment and make a significant impact in the Europa League against some of Europe's top clubs.