Hapoel Be'er Sheva Advances Toward Champions League Playoffs with Win Over Red Star Belgrade
Hapoel Be'er Sheva took a major step toward the Champions League playoffs by securing a 1-0 victory over Red Star Belgrade in their first leg match held in Hungary on August 4, 2026. This win continues a dominant trend of Israeli clubs prevailing over Serbian teams in European competitions, a pattern that has been noted extensively in Serbian media.
Before the match, Serbian outlets highlighted the historical difficulty Serbian teams face against Israeli opponents, pointing out that in the last five two-legged European ties between Serbian and Israeli clubs, the Israeli teams have always advanced. This streak dates back to the 2005/2006 season, when Partizan Belgrade defeated Maccabi Petah Tikva 2-0 at home but suffered a heavy 5-2 loss in Israel, considered one of their most painful defeats. Subsequent encounters include Hapoel Tel Aviv's 3-0 aggregate win over Vojvodina in 2007/2008, Maccabi Tel Aviv's 4-2 aggregate victory against Radnički in 2018/2019, Maccabi Haifa's memorable 5-4 aggregate win over Red Star Belgrade in 2022/2023, and Maccabi Tel Aviv's 4-1 aggregate success against Bačka Topola in 2023/2024.
Zahi Ahmed, who scored the winning goal for Be'er Sheva, has been in strong form, netting two goals in his last two games and totaling six league goals last season. Be'er Sheva now awaits the winner of the Aarhus versus Sabah tie for their next playoff opponent, with just 90 minutes remaining to secure a place in the Champions League group stage.
The Serbian sports outlet Meridian described the matchup as historically significant, emphasizing that "it seems everything is possible except beating Israeli teams." This ongoing trend underscores the growing strength and reputation of Israeli clubs in European football competitions.
Summary: Hapoel Be'er Sheva defeated Red Star Belgrade 1-0 in Hungary, continuing Israeli clubs' unbeaten record against Serbian teams in recent European ties and moving closer to the Champions League playoffs.
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