Hapoel Be'er Sheva Players Express Frustration After Goalless Draw

Hapoel Be'er Sheva began their Europa League campaign with a 0-0 draw against Dinamo Zagreb on Wednesday, leaving the team with mixed feelings. While pleased with their dominant performance against a strong opponent, players lamented a lack of quality in passing and finishing that prevented them from scoring. "It was a game we should have won," players stated, expressing disappointment over the missed opportunity given their control of the match. Poor pitch conditions were also cited as a contributing factor.

Despite the frustration, the club praised coach Ran Kochav for fielding an aggressive and dominant team despite numerous absences and injuries. Amankwaa Forson showed increased involvement, Igor Zlatanovic shook off rust, and Jaba Kankava made impactful plays. Niv Yehoshua impressed as a defensive midfielder, providing a high-level alternative to Lucas Ventura, while Guy Mzerahi and Pedro Amador contributed effectively on both defense and offense.

The team returned to Israel immediately after the match and is set to play Kiryat Shmona on Saturday. Kochav is expected to continue rotating the squad, with Eliel Peretz and Jibril Diaw returning and likely to start. Hamodi Kanaan, Adrian Grbic, and Joao Victor are also available after missing the previous game.

Following the match, most players will enter a break, with only national team players continuing. Ventura and Itay Rotman remain sidelined with injuries and are expected back after the upcoming break. The club highlighted its deep squad, stating, "The deep squad is proving itself and will continue to prove itself going forward." The team's objectives are to secure points in the Europa League while also winning in the domestic league, acknowledging the challenge posed by the heavy schedule but noting they prepared for it.