Red Star Belgrade Awaits Hapoel Be'er Sheva in Champions League Qualifiers

Hapoel Be'er Sheva advanced past Vikingur on Wednesday in the UEFA Champions League qualifiers but now faces a formidable opponent in Red Star Belgrade. The Serbian club, which eliminated Maccabi Haifa in the 2022/23 playoff round in a major upset, is a regular participant in the Champions League, having competed in two of the last three seasons. Red Star boasts a rich European history, including a past Champions League title.

Last season, Red Star started in the second qualifying round and narrowly lost to Pafos in the playoff stage, subsequently moving to the Europa League where they defeated Sturm Graz and Steaua Bucharest before falling to Lille in the knockout phase. This summer, Red Star strengthened their squad by signing players such as Abu Fani from Ferencváros and Louizos Louizo from Hapoel Tel Aviv, investing around 10 million euros in acquisitions while selling players for approximately 12.75 million euros.

The current squad value of Red Star stands at 122 million euros, significantly higher than Be'er Sheva's 23.93 million euros, reflecting a more than fivefold difference. With the Serbian league in full swing, Red Star's players are match-fit, giving them an additional edge. Red Star will host the second leg and is considered the heavy favorite and possibly the strongest champion competing in the third qualifying round of the Champions League. Should Be'er Sheva be eliminated, they will drop down to the Conference League qualifiers.