"What we presented does not resemble Hapoel Be'er Sheva"
After a delayed departure from Ben Gurion Airport on Monday, Hapoel Be'er Sheva arrived in Hungary ahead of tomorrow's Champions League second qualifying round second leg against Vikingur. The team is under significant pressure to secure a win and advance to the next stage of European competition.
After a delayed departure from Ben Gurion Airport on Monday, Hapoel Be'er Sheva arrived in Hungary late in the evening ahead of tomorrow's home match against Vikingur in the second qualifying round second leg of the Champions League (Wednesday, 20:30, Sport 2). The club is going through a challenging period, and the pressure is naturally high. The expectation is that the team will advance to the third qualifying round, securing at least a spot in the Conference League for the upcoming season. To achieve this, they must defeat the Icelandic champions, who showed superiority in the first leg last week.
"There is no doubt that a radical change is needed in tomorrow's game. What we showed in Iceland and in the Champions Cup against Maccabi Tel Aviv does not resemble Hapoel Be'er Sheva. The change must come first of all from the heart of every player. We need to internalize where we are. We fought for a whole season to reach such a moment as the Champions League qualifiers and we need to give everything from the soul, because a victory will change everyone's feeling," the team stated this morning.
Coach Ran Kozuch is considering all options ahead of tomorrow, including changing the formation and rotating the lineup. Matan Baltaxa, who missed the first match due to injury, will return to the squad and may start as a left-back or center-back. Zahi Ahmed is a candidate to replace Amir Ganah, and Javon East has been training in rotation with Muhammad Abu Rumi. Eliel Peretz, whose absence from the starting lineup last week was described as a professional decision, may also start on the bench tomorrow.
"We don't look good so far, so it is understandable that there may be many changes in the lineup," one of the players said last night. About 300 fans will accompany Hapoel Be'er Sheva to the match. This will be Kings Kangwa's final appearance for the team. The Zambian midfielder is highly focused and hopes to leave on a high note after two years by helping the club advance to the next round.
