Hapoel Be'er Sheva Falls 2-1 to Vikingur Reykjavik in Champions League Qualifier

Hapoel Be'er Sheva began the second round of the UEFA Champions League qualifiers with a 2-1 loss to Vikingur Reykjavik in Iceland on Monday. The match saw Be'er Sheva come from behind to equalize early in the second half but ultimately fall short after missing a crucial penalty and conceding a late goal. The first half ended goalless, with Vikingur posing some threats and Be'er Sheva struggling to create clear chances. Kings Kangwa received a yellow card in the 41st minute.

Shortly after halftime, Vikingur took the lead in the 48th minute through Nikolaj Hansen, assisted by veteran Gilfi Sigurdsson. Be'er Sheva responded quickly, with Igor Zlatanovic setting up Kangwa to score the equalizer in the 51st minute. The game intensified as both teams made substitutions seeking a winning goal. In the 80th minute, Be'er Sheva was awarded a penalty but failed to convert it, a turning point in the match.

Six minutes later, Sigurdsson assisted Hansen again to restore Vikingur's lead at 2-1. Despite efforts from Be'er Sheva in the final minutes and stoppage time, they could not find an equalizer. The Israeli side returns from Iceland with a narrow defeat but the tie remains open ahead of the second leg.