Hapoel Be'er Sheva Drawn Into One of Toughest UEFA Europa League Groups

Hapoel Be'er Sheva, the reigning Israeli champion, has been drawn into a particularly challenging group in the UEFA Europa League league stage, facing a series of strong opponents. The team will compete against Juventus, AZ Alkmaar, Union Saint-Gilloise, Dinamo Zagreb, Bournemouth, Celta Vigo, Besiktas, and OFI Crete. According to advanced statistical analyses from multiple football ranking websites, Be'er Sheva's group is among the most difficult in the competition.

The site Football Rankings ranked Be'er Sheva's group as the sixth toughest out of all 36 teams in the tournament, with only Real Sociedad, Besiktas, Celtic, Lech Poznan, and OFI Crete having harder draws. Another ranking from FOOTBALLRANKED.COM placed Be'er Sheva's group as the second hardest, surpassed only by Besiktas's group, which includes Bayer Leverkusen, Marseille, Union Saint-Gilloise, Celtic, Crystal Palace, Omonia Nicosia, and Hoffenheim.

This difficult draw highlights the significant challenge ahead for the Israeli champions as they prepare to compete in the Europa League group stage starting this season. The draw was announced on August 28, 2026, and has sparked discussion about the level of competition Be'er Sheva will face.