Hapoel Be'er Sheva Advances to Champions League Playoff After Historic Win

Hapoel Be'er Sheva achieved a historic milestone by advancing to the UEFA Champions League playoff round for the first time in nine years. On August 11, 2026, the Israeli champions defeated Red Star Belgrade 2-0 at the Marakana Stadium in Belgrade, securing a 3-0 aggregate victory. Goals from Igor Zlatanovic and Javon East sealed the win for Be'er Sheva, who overcame a hostile atmosphere in Serbia to claim one of the biggest recent victories for an Israeli club.

The victory puts Hapoel Be'er Sheva just 180 minutes away from qualifying for the Champions League group stage for the first time in their history. Their next opponent will be Sabah FC from Azerbaijan, with the winner advancing to the continental competition's main tournament. Despite an early chance for Red Star's Vasilije Kostov, Be'er Sheva dominated the match and created multiple scoring opportunities through Zlatanovic, Eliel Peretz, and East.

This achievement marks a significant moment for Israeli football, as Hapoel Be'er Sheva continues to build on their domestic success and aims to establish themselves on the European stage.