Hapoel Be'er Sheva Plans Lineup Changes Ahead of Crucial Champions League Playoff

Following a 2-1 loss to Vikingur in last week's UEFA Champions League qualifiers, Hapoel Be'er Sheva is preparing for the decisive second leg against the Icelandic team scheduled for Wednesday. Coach Ran Kozuch is considering significant changes to the starting lineup, with up to three alterations from the first match's eleven players. Midfielder Eliel Peretz, a key player during the championship season, remains out of the starting lineup and has yet to feature this season, hoping to improve his standing soon. Matan Baltaxa has been trained both as a center-back and left-back but is expected to start as a left-back. Notably, forwards Zehaye Ahmed and Javon East are being tested in the starting eleven, potentially replacing Mohammed Abu Romi and Amir Ganah. Kozuch is likely to finalize his decisions after the final training session. The team acknowledges the critical nature of the match, emphasizing that failure to advance would be a major disappointment. They are determined to secure European competition for the season starting with this game.