Hapoel Be'er Sheva Prepares for Champions League Qualifiers Without Revealing Starting Lineup

Hapoel Be'er Sheva is set to begin its 2026-27 UEFA Champions League qualifying campaign on Tuesday evening against Vikingur Reykjavik in Iceland, aiming to bounce back from recent domestic disappointment. Following a 3-1 loss to Maccabi Tel Aviv, coach Ran Kuzuh opted not to practice the starting lineup during the final training session, instead conducting scrimmages on the match pitch to avoid revealing his first eleven. The players acclimated to the high-quality synthetic turf and the cold, rainy weather conditions expected for the game.

Kuzuh held a tactical meeting addressing errors from the previous defeat and delivered pointed criticism, supplemented by numerous one-on-one talks with players. Amid ongoing rumors and media reports, key player Kings Kangwa is expected to start alongside Lucas Ventura and Eliel Peretz. Additional lineup changes include Jibril Diop moving into central defense and Mohammed Abu Romi starting on the flank. These are currently the only anticipated adjustments to the squad.

The projected starting eleven for Hapoel Be'er Sheva is goalkeeper Ofir Marciano; defenders Guy Mizrahi, Jibril Diop, Matan Baltaksa, and Ofir Davidzada; midfielders Lucas Ventura, Kings Kangwa, Eliel Peretz, and Mohammed Abu Romi; and forwards Amir Ganah and Igor Zlatanovic. The team is focused on securing a positive result to advance further in the Champions League qualifiers.