Hapoel Be'er Sheva Faces Dinamo Zagreb in Europa League Opener

Hapoel Be'er Sheva is set to begin their Europa League campaign tonight (Wednesday) with a home match against Dinamo Zagreb, following a return to winning ways in the domestic league. Players expressed excitement and a strong desire to perform well in the prestigious tournament, stating, "We worked hard to get here and we want to achieve good results in this prestigious competition too." The team will be facing significant personnel challenges, with several key players unavailable. Djibril Diop and Eliel Peretz are suspended, Lucas Ventura and Itay Rotman are injured, Roey Levy and Yoni Stoyanov are not registered for the match, and Itay Hazut has already transferred to Ashdod.

Coach Ran Kochva has frequently rotated the squad, but Giy Mizrahi and Miguel Vitor are expected to start. Zahy Ahmed, Amir Ganach, and Igor Zlatanovic, who recently returned to the squad, are also in contention for starting spots. Hamodi Kanaan remains a possibility as well. The team's rotation strategy is also influenced by an upcoming league game on Saturday against Kiryat Shmona, just before the international break.

In terms of transfers, the club does not anticipate signing any new players before the transfer window closes today. Roey Levy may be loaned out if he finds a team, while Ayalon Almog is expected to be released and become a free agent, allowing him to sign with another club after today. The projected starting lineup includes Ofir Marciano in goal, a defense of Giy Mizrahi, Miguel Vitor, Idan Nachmias, and Pedro Amador, a midfield of Niv Yehoshua and Amankwah Forson (or Hamodi Kanaan), and an attacking trio of Zahy Ahmed, Amir Ganach, and Javan East, with Igor Zlatanovic leading the line.