Hapoel Be'er Sheva Shocks Red Star Belgrade with 1-0 Win in Champions League Qualifier

Hapoel Be'er Sheva stunned Red Star Belgrade with a 1-0 victory in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League qualifier on Tuesday in Belgrade. The Israeli champions scored through Zahi Ahmed, who exploited defensive lapses by Red Star, including a key moment where he outpaced defenders Matheus and Derek Lokassen. Despite Red Star's hopes for a strong Champions League run, the Serbian side struggled to create significant chances and played a flat, uninspired game.

Local Serbian media criticized Red Star's performance, highlighting their inability to capitalize even after Matan Baltaksa was sent off. Analysts noted that Be'er Sheva could have won by a larger margin, as Red Star appeared nervous and disorganized. Some outlets questioned the tactical decisions of Red Star's coach, Diyan Stankovic, whose substitutions failed to turn the game around.

Coach Stankovic admitted the team was surprised by Be'er Sheva's aggressive style and acknowledged numerous unforced errors and poor ball control. He said, "We lost many balls and made mistakes that cost us. We tried to respond with substitutions but couldn’t improve. We didn’t play like ourselves and conceded a bad goal." Despite playing with a numerical advantage after Baltaksa's red card, Red Star remained disorganized and failed to exploit the situation.

The second leg is scheduled for next Wednesday at the Marakana Stadium in Belgrade, where Red Star will seek to overturn the deficit. Meanwhile, Be'er Sheva's strong away performance has given them a significant advantage heading into the return match.

Summary: Hapoel Be'er Sheva defeated Red Star Belgrade 1-0 in the first leg of their Champions League qualifier in Belgrade, with Zahi Ahmed scoring the decisive goal. Red Star struggled with errors and failed to capitalize on a red card advantage, leaving them with a tough task in the upcoming second leg.

Points: - Hapoel Be'er Sheva won 1-0 away against Red Star Belgrade in Champions League qualifying. - Zahi Ahmed scored the only goal, exploiting defensive mistakes. - Red Star received criticism for poor performance and tactical errors. - Coach Stankovic admitted surprise at Be'er Sheva's aggression and team mistakes. - Red Star failed to capitalize on a red card advantage during the match. - The second leg will take place next Wednesday at Marakana Stadium.

Topic: sports israel_relevant: true Entities: {"people":["Zahi Ahmed","Matheus","Derek Lokassen","Diyan Stankovic","Matan Baltaksa"],"organizations":["Hapoel Be'er Sheva","Red Star Belgrade"],"places":["Belgrade","Marakana Stadium"]}