Hapoel Be'er Sheva Drawn Against Aarhus or Sabah in Champions League Playoff

Hapoel Be'er Sheva has been drawn to face the winner of the match between Aarhus (Denmark) and Sabah (Azerbaijan) in the UEFA Champions League playoff round. However, before reaching that stage, Be'er Sheva must overcome a challenging third qualifying round tie against Red Star Belgrade, featuring former Hapoel Tel Aviv player Louizos Louizos. The two-legged matches against Red Star are scheduled for August 18-19 and August 25-26.

Despite the tough challenge, Be'er Sheva has already secured participation in a European group stage this season, either in the Champions League or the Europa League. If they fail to advance past Red Star and subsequently lose in the Europa League playoff, they will still compete in a European group stage. Notably, Sabah, who defeated Maccabi Haifa in the Conference League qualifiers two years ago, is considered a preferable opponent compared to Aarhus, whose market value is higher (35 million euros versus 17 million euros for Sabah, according to Transfermarkt).

This season's European campaign follows Be'er Sheva's recent victory over their Icelandic opponent, bringing them closer to the Champions League group stage. The club and its fans are preparing for a demanding schedule ahead, with hopes of progressing further in European competitions.