Hapoel Be'er Sheva Beats Red Star Belgrade 1-0 in Champions League Qualifier

Hapoel Be'er Sheva secured a crucial 1-0 victory over Red Star Belgrade in their Champions League qualifying match held in Hungary. The Israeli champions took advantage of their home-like setting despite playing away from Israel, with about 400 Be'er Sheva fans supporting the team. Zahy Ahmed scored the decisive goal in the 38th minute after a successful press led to a turnover, allowing him to beat the goalkeeper.

The match was intense, with Red Star considered the clear favorite and showing dominance at times, especially in the first half. However, Hapoel Be'er Sheva maintained resilience even after defender Matan Baltaksa was sent off in the 59th minute following two consecutive fouls, resulting in a red card. Red Star also had a player, Lucasen, initially given a red card in the 78th minute, but the VAR downgraded it to a yellow card due to a simulation by Hapoel's Jevon Isat.

Despite being a man down, Hapoel Be'er Sheva defended well and held on to their lead, demonstrating strong character and European-level competitiveness. The team now heads to the second leg in Belgrade next Thursday with an important advantage and hopes to complete the qualification. The match also saw a disallowed second goal for Be'er Sheva due to offside.

Coach Koozuch's squad showed they belong among Europe's higher ranks and did not back down against the Serbian side. The victory is a significant step forward in their Champions League campaign.