Hapoel Be'er Sheva Denies Resting Players for Upcoming League Match
Translated & summarized from Walla by baba
Hapoel Be'er Sheva lost 2-0 to Omonia Nicosia in the Europa League on Thursday, their third straight loss in the competition. Club sources denied that the lineup was chosen with their upcoming league match against Hapoel Tel Aviv in mind. Coach Ran Kochav fielded an unusual attacking trio, which the club defended as the best choice for the physical match. The team's performance in Europe contrasts sharply with their domestic league form, though a player expressed confidence in future results.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Hapoel Be'er Sheva lost 2-0 to Omonia Nicosia in the Europa League on Thursday.
- Club sources deny the lineup was chosen to rest players for the Hapoel Tel Aviv match.
- Coach Ran Kochav fielded an unusual attacking trio against Omonia.
- This was Hapoel Be'er Sheva's third consecutive loss in the Europa League.
- Five players who missed the Omonia game are expected to start against Hapoel Tel Aviv.
Hapoel Be'er Sheva returned to Israel on Friday afternoon following a 2-0 loss to Omonia Nicosia in the Europa League on Thursday. The team faces a quick turnaround, with only one training session scheduled before their league match against Hapoel Tel Aviv on Saturday. This marks Hapoel Be'er Sheva's third consecutive loss in the Europa League, having previously been defeated by Union SG and AZ Alkmaar.
Sources within the club stated that the lineup for the Omonia match was not determined with the upcoming Hapoel Tel Aviv game in mind. "It's not that we didn't know Omonia was a good team, it's just that Israeli teams have historically performed well against Greek teams, and we hoped that would happen for us too," the sources said. Coach Ran Kochav surprised many by fielding an attacking trio of Mohamed Abu Rumi, Yonas Malede, and Adrian Grbic, who had never played together before and rarely start individually.
The club insists Kochav selected the optimal lineup based on his beliefs, not in consideration of the league game. "Ran chose the most appropriate lineup based on what he believed in, regardless of the game against Hapoel Tel Aviv. It was clear this would be a physical game against a strong counter-attacking team, and the choice of Abu Rumi and Malede was to provide more power and speed on the wings for the defensive game," the sources explained.
Hapoel Be'er Sheva's performance in the Europa League has been a stark contrast to their recent form in the Israeli Premier League. The team has secured only one point in the competition so far, drawing comparisons to Maccabi Tel Aviv's struggles in the Europa League last season. The team still has matches against stronger opponents like Besiktas, Juventus, Celta Vigo, and Bournemouth.
Despite the current results, a player expressed confidence in the team's ability to improve. "We will earn more points in this competition this season," the player committed. "But what is certain is that the football is different from what we encounter in Israel. The intensity, the power, the speed, the dynamism. It may not be the Champions League, but it's not far off." It is likely that five players who did not start against Omonia, Miguel Vítor, Pedro Amador, Javanão Este, Amir Ganah, and Igor Zlatanović, will start against Hapoel Tel Aviv.
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