Hapoel Be'er Sheva Faces Challenging European Campaign After Iceland Loss
Hapoel Be'er Sheva suffered a 2-1 defeat against Icelandic club Vikingur Reykjavik on July 21, complicating their chances of qualifying for the UEFA Champions League next season. Prior to the match, data from Football Meets Data gave Be'er Sheva a 71% chance of advancing and a 44% chance of winning away. Following the loss, their probability of progressing dropped to 50%, though they still hold an 88% chance of qualifying for some European group stage.
If Be'er Sheva is eliminated by Vikingur, they will face the loser of the tie between Thun and Dinamo Zagreb, who drew 1-1 in the first leg in Switzerland. That second leg is also scheduled for Tuesday, allowing Be'er Sheva to know their next opponent before their own return leg. Meanwhile, Red Star Belgrade dominated with a 4-0 away win over Larne.
Football Meets Data's algorithm predicts Be'er Sheva will lose to Red Star but win in the Europa League playoff round, securing a place in the second-tier European competition. Advancing past Vikingur guarantees Be'er Sheva a European season and at least 3.17 million euros in revenue from this achievement. The club now faces a critical return leg to determine their European fate.
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