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

Hapoel Be'er Sheva advanced to the third qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League after overturning a first-leg defeat to win 2-0 against Vikingur. Their next opponent will be Red Star Belgrade, the Serbian champions, who are already expressing concern about the upcoming match. Serbian media outlets have described the draw as challenging, with the Serbian Telegraph stating that facing the Israeli champions so early in the qualifiers "could not have been worse." They noted that while Red Star is considered the stronger team, Be'er Sheva struggled against a weaker Vikingur side.

Local Serbian sports clubs echoed this sentiment, acknowledging Be'er Sheva's slow start but impressive eventual qualification. They emphasized that despite the difficulty, there are "no excuses," and Red Star, being the higher quality team, is expected to advance. The sports site MaxBetSport also praised Hapoel Be'er Sheva as a "good and quality team," highlighting the importance of home advantage. They raised the question of whether the match in Hungary, where Be'er Sheva will host, will allow away fans or be played behind closed doors.

The two teams will meet next week, with Red Star Belgrade fully respecting their Israeli opponents and anticipating a very tough challenge. Both sides are preparing for a competitive encounter as Be'er Sheva aims to continue their European campaign against one of the region's top clubs.