Hapoel Be'er Sheva Loses to Alkmaar, Faces Injury Concerns

Hapoel Be'er Sheva suffered a painful 2-1 defeat against Alkmaar on Thursday, despite delivering a strong performance that was undone by late goals. The club expressed significant disappointment, particularly criticizing player Djibril Diop, who was deemed responsible for both goals conceded.

"Alongside his good games, he makes recurring mistakes, and his instability greatly harms the defense," club sources stated. "We deserved at least a point, especially in the second half. We created good chances and need to learn from our defensive naivety. At this level, every mistake is punished."

The team is likely to be without defender Idan Nachmias, who sustained a hamstring strain and will undergo further examination upon the team's return to Israel. In a tactical surprise, coach the coach did not start Itai Rotman, who has also not started in the two games since his return. Rotman is expected to be in the starting lineup against Hapoel Jerusalem on Sunday, with Amir Ganah, Matan Baltaxa, and Hamudi Kanaan also in contention for starting spots.

On a positive note, the club was pleased with the performances of Zahai Ahmad, who provided an assist and played well before being substituted, and Kouassi Forson, who is regaining form and has contributed statistically for two consecutive games.

Regarding player bonuses for advancing in European competition, it is understood that each player will receive their contractual bonus for reaching the group stage, as most players have such a clause in their contracts.