Red Star Belgrade Prepares for Tough Champions League Clash Against Hapoel Be'er Sheva

Hapoel Be'er Sheva advanced to the third qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League after overturning a first-leg defeat to beat Vikingur 2-0. Their next opponent will be Red Star Belgrade, the Serbian champions, who have already begun preparing for the challenging encounter. Serbian media expressed concern about facing Be'er Sheva so early in the qualifiers, with the Serbian Telegraph stating the matchup "could not have been worse," acknowledging that while Red Star is the stronger team, Be'er Sheva proved tough by overcoming a weaker Vikingur side.

Local sports outlets echoed this sentiment, describing the upcoming tie as particularly difficult. They noted that although Be'er Sheva started slowly, they ultimately advanced impressively. Despite the challenge, there are "no excuses," and Red Star is expected to prevail given their higher quality. The sports website MaxBetSport also praised Be'er Sheva as a good and quality team, highlighting the importance of home advantage and raising questions about whether the match in Hungary, where Be'er Sheva will host, will allow visiting fans or be played behind closed doors.

The two clubs will face off next week, with Red Star fully respecting Be'er Sheva and anticipating a tough battle against one of the region's top teams. Red Star aims to surprise and continue their European campaign, while Be'er Sheva looks to build on their recent success in the qualifiers.