Israeli teams learned their first European qualifying opponents on Wednesday afternoon, and the draw produced a mixed picture, with Hapoel Be'er Sheva getting a relatively manageable path and Hapoel Tel Aviv facing the hardest assignment.
Hapoel Be'er Sheva will begin in the second qualifying round of the Champions League against the winner of Győri of Hungary and Vikingur of Iceland. On paper, the southern club is considered likely to clear the first hurdle and advance.
Maccabi Tel Aviv was drawn to meet the winner of Sheriff Tiraspol of Moldova and Aluminij of Slovenia in the second qualifying round of the Europa League. Sheriff is described as a proven, difficult opponent with a rich Champions League history, and the Moldovan side includes Israeli players Kase Ganem and Liam Harmesh, although it is unclear whether Harmesh will still be there next season.
In the Conference League, Beitar Jerusalem will face AEK Larnaca of Cyprus, a tie that also brings back familiar faces for Israeli fans, former Maccabi Tel Aviv defender Enric Saborit and former Hapoel Tel Aviv player Yahav Gurfinkel. The article says the Cypriot team has an experienced and quality squad, making the matchup tight and tense for the runners-up from Jerusalem. Hapoel Tel Aviv drew the toughest opponent of all, Bulgarian powerhouse Ludogorets, which lost its domestic title this season and is therefore expected to be especially hungry and dangerous. The Bulgarian club is wealthy, pays large salaries, and has a deep squad that includes leading Brazilian players as well as Israeli defender Idan Nachmias, so Hapoel Tel Aviv will need to reach its highest level to pull off an upset.
