Vikingur Prepares to Defend Lead Against Hapoel Be'er Sheva in Champions League Qualifier

Hapoel Be'er Sheva will attempt to overturn a 2-1 deficit against Icelandic club Vikingur in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League qualifiers on Wednesday at 20:30 in Szombathely, Hungary. The match will be played on natural grass, a change from Vikingur's home games in Iceland, which Vikingur players say they prefer. Vikingur believes the absence of a home crowd for Be'er Sheva will work to their advantage, as only a few hundred of the Israeli club's fans are expected in the 9,000-seat stadium.

Vikingur's key player, Gilfi Sigurdsson, commented on Be'er Sheva's playing style, noting their high pressing and quality players. He emphasized the importance of pressing and defending well against them to counter their pressure. Another Vikingur player, Daniel Halfsteinson, compared the upcoming match to a recent qualifier against Hungarian champions Győr, where Vikingur advanced after securing a first-leg advantage and drawing the second leg.

The Icelandic team has already trained once in Hungary and will hold a final session at the match venue. They expect different conditions due to the warmer weather and natural grass but hope for an enjoyable game. Vikingur sees the lack of a home crowd for Be'er Sheva as a motivational edge and plans to capitalize on it to secure progression to the third qualifying round.