Hapoel Be'er Sheva Advances to Champions League Playoff After Victory Over Red Star Belgrade

Hapoel Be'er Sheva, the Israeli Premier League champion, secured a historic advancement to the UEFA Champions League playoff round after defeating Red Star Belgrade in the second leg of their qualifier. Following a 1-0 home win last week in Hungary, Be'er Sheva triumphed again on the road at the Marakana Stadium in Belgrade on Tuesday. Zlatanović scored in the 61st minute assisted by East, and East himself sealed the victory with a goal in the 79th minute, ensuring a 2-0 win in the return match. This result eliminated the Serbian champions and brought Be'er Sheva just 180 minutes away from reaching the group stage of Europe's most prestigious football competition. The victory echoes a similar upset by Maccabi Haifa against Red Star four years ago, highlighting the growing strength of Israeli clubs in European tournaments.