Hapoel Be'er Sheva Suffers Loss to AZ Alkmaar in Europa League
Translated & summarized from Ynet by baba
Hapoel Be'er Sheva lost 2-1 to AZ Alkmaar in their second Europa League match, remaining without a win in the competition. Peyr Koopmeiners scored for Alkmaar, Amankwaa Forson equalized for Be'er Sheva, and Maks Miriydink secured the win with a penalty. The match was overshadowed by a ban on Be'er Sheva fans entering the stadium, despite diplomatic efforts to allow their attendance.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Hapoel Be'er Sheva lost 2-1 to AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League, remaining winless.
- Peyr Koopmeiners scored for Alkmaar, Amankwaa Forson equalized, and Maks Miriydink netted a penalty for the win.
- Be'er Sheva failed to record a shot on goal in the first half.
- Alkmaar banned Hapoel Be'er Sheva fans from the stadium for security reasons.
- Israeli Ambassador Zvi Vapni's attempt to allow 150 fans was rejected.
Hapoel Be'er Sheva is still searching for its first win in the Europa League after a 2-1 defeat to AZ Alkmaar on Thursday. The Israeli club conceded the opening goal in the 49th minute to Peyr Koopmeiners, but Amankwaa Forson equalized for Be'er Sheva in the 55th minute. The decisive goal came in the 77th minute from a penalty converted by Maks Miriydink after a foul by Djibril Diop.
Alkmaar dominated the first half, with Be'er Sheva failing to register a single shot on goal. Goalkeeper Ophir Marciano made several saves to keep the score level until halftime. The Dutch team had seven attempts in the first half, though none were on target.
In the second half, Alkmaar took the lead shortly after the restart when Koopmeiners found the net. Be'er Sheva responded quickly, with Zahi Ahmed pressuring the defense to win the ball, leading to Forson's equalizer, which was the team's first goal in the competition this season. Be'er Sheva had a chance to take the lead in the 63rd minute, but a substitute, Ist, missed a clear opportunity.
The match was preceded by controversy, as authorities in Alkmaar banned Hapoel Be'er Sheva fans from entering the stadium for security reasons. This decision remained despite efforts by the club and Israeli officials to overturn it. Israel's Ambassador to the Netherlands, Zvi Vapni, proposed allowing a limited number of fans, but was denied and criticized the mayor. Approximately 50 fans who had already arrived in Amsterdam arranged to watch the game together at a secret location. A pro-Palestinian demonstration also took place near the stadium before the match.
Hapoel Be'er Sheva will look to secure their first points in the next Europa League fixture.
Mentioned
