Hapoel Be'er Sheva Advances Toward Champions League Playoffs with Win Over Red Star Belgrade
Hapoel Be'er Sheva took a significant step toward qualifying for the Champions League playoffs by defeating Red Star Belgrade 1-0 in their first leg match held in Hungary on August 4, 2026. This victory continues a dominant trend of Israeli clubs outperforming Serbian teams in European competitions, a pattern noted extensively in Serbian media before the game. Israeli teams have eliminated Serbian opponents in each of the last five two-legged European ties, reinforcing the perception that Serbian clubs struggle to overcome Israeli sides.
The historical record includes several notable encounters: in 2005/2006, Partizan Belgrade won 2-0 against Maccabi Petah Tikva but suffered a heavy 5-2 defeat at home, described in Serbia as one of the most painful losses ever. Later, Hapoel Tel Aviv defeated Vojvodina 3-0 on aggregate in 2007/2008, Maccabi Tel Aviv won 4-2 on aggregate against Radnički in 2018/2019, Maccabi Haifa edged Red Star 5-4 on aggregate in 2022/2023, and Maccabi Tel Aviv triumphed 4-1 on aggregate over 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 matches and totaling six league goals last season. Be'er Sheva now awaits the winner of the Aarhus vs. Sabah tie for a place in the Champions League playoffs. Serbian media highlighted the psychological impact of Israeli teams' recent successes, quoting Meridian as saying, "It seems everything is possible except beating Israelis."
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