Hapoel Be'er Sheva Secures Champions League Playoff Spot with 2-0 Win Over Red Star Belgrade

Hapoel Be'er Sheva returned to Israel on Wednesday after a remarkable 2-0 victory over Red Star Belgrade in Serbia, securing their place in the UEFA Champions League playoff round with a 3-0 aggregate score. The team and coaching staff, led by Ran Kozuch, received widespread praise for their performance.

Goalkeeper Ofir Marciano was a standout, maintaining a clean sheet for the third consecutive match, including the previous round against Vikingur. Despite the club acquiring Marco Wolf from Maccabi Petah Tikva, Marciano firmly held his position as the starting goalkeeper.

Veteran defender Miguel Vitor, who had considered leaving the club last season and during the summer, signed on for his 11th season with Be'er Sheva. His performance against Red Star was exceptional, demonstrating leadership and skill reminiscent of his peak years under coach Barak Bachar. Alongside him, new defenders Guy Mizrahi and Pablo Amador made strong debuts, contributing to a solid defensive line that kept a clean sheet.

Midfielder Eliel Peretz delivered one of his best performances, assisting Jebon East, who was named the match's standout player. East, who joined mid-season last year, impressed with his all-around play, including a brilliant assist to Igor Zlatanovic and scoring a fantastic goal himself. Teammates praised East as a "football star" and highlighted his intelligence and team spirit.

Overall, the night was a triumph for coach Ran Kozuch, whose tactical decisions and substitutions were described as perfect, leading Hapoel Be'er Sheva to a historic achievement in European competition.