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 advance after last season's disappointment. Coach Ran Kuzuh opted not to practice the starting lineup during the final training session, instead focusing on scrimmages to avoid revealing his first eleven. The team trained on the match pitch to acclimate to the high-quality synthetic surface and the cool, rainy weather conditions.

Following a 3-1 loss to Maccabi Tel Aviv, Kuzuh held a tactical meeting addressing the team's mistakes and delivered sharp criticism of that performance. He also conducted numerous one-on-one talks with players to prepare them mentally and tactically for the upcoming challenge. Amid ongoing rumors and media reports, key player Kings Kangwa is expected to start alongside Lucas Ventura and Eliel Peretz, with Jibril Diop moving into central defense and Mohammed Abu Romi starting on the flank. These are the only anticipated changes to the lineup.

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