Hapoel Be'er Sheva Prepares for Historic Champions League Playoff Clash Against Sabah

Hapoel Be'er Sheva is set to face Sabah in their first leg of the UEFA Champions League playoff on Wednesday at 22:00 in Bucharest, with the match broadcast live on 5SPORT. Approximately 1,000 fans are expected to attend, marking the highest turnout for the Israeli champions this campaign, which included matches against Vikingur from Iceland and Red Star Belgrade in earlier rounds. Club owner Alona Barkat and head coach Ran Kozuch both expressed high excitement ahead of the game, emphasizing the historic opportunity as the team has reached the playoff stage twice before but never competed in the Champions League group stage itself.

Despite the significant financial stakes, with a potential 18 million euros prize if the team advances, the club is focused on maintaining its core playing style and mentality that brought them this far. Kozuch plans to field the same lineup as in the previous match against Red Star Belgrade, stressing the importance of high pressure and mental strength. He also highlighted that this match could be a career milestone for the players. The team aims to secure a strong advantage in the first leg to approach the return fixture with confidence.

The expected starting lineup includes goalkeeper Ofir Marciano; defenders Guy Mizrahi, Miguel Vitor, Itay Rotman, Pedro Amaral; midfielders Lucas Ventura, Niv Yehoshua, Eliel Peretz; and forwards Javon East, Igor Zlatanovic, and Zahi Ahmed. The club and fans are eager to make history by advancing to the Champions League group stage for the first time.