"We will try to narrow the gaps, we will not settle for qualifying for the Conference League"
Kozuch's talks with the players about faith, the surprising practice of Kanaan, and those who will earn the coach's trust. Hapoel Be'er Sheva expects a good result tonight (20:30, Sport 3), which will leave it a chance to qualify ahead of the return leg against Red Star next week in Belgrade.
For the first time without Kings Kangwa, who left for Panathinaikos, Hapoel Be'er Sheva will try tonight (Tuesday, 20:30, Sport 3) to achieve a good result against Red Star Belgrade. The Israeli champion will meet the Serbian champion in the first of two matches in the third qualifying round of the Champions League.
Hapoel Be'er Sheva arrives, on the face of it, more relaxed than for the match last week against Víkingur, since it has already secured, after a three-year absence, participation in a European competition thanks to its qualification for at least the league stage of the Conference League. However, players at the club said last night, after the final training session in Hungary:
"We do not want to settle for the Conference League. We will try to narrow the gaps from Red Star Belgrade."
It is clear to everyone that the return leg next week at the famous Marakana stadium in Belgrade will be different from the match expected tonight. Coach Ran Kozuch pushes the players and talks to them all the time about faith and about the fact that Hapoel Be'er Sheva is capable of achieving a good result and should not be afraid to think about a win. Kozuch still maintains ambiguity regarding the identity of the midfielder who will replace Kings Kangwa. If it seemed that Eliel Peretz would definitely return to the lineup, in the last two days the coach has practiced Hamudi Kanaan in that position alternately with Peretz. It seems that the deliberation will be decided only today at noon, when Kozuch decides on the lineup and later communicates it to the players.
Kozuch is expected to put his trust in Itay Rotman, whom he brought on as a substitute last week after the injury of Djibril Diop. The player who arrived from Hapoel Petah Tikva showed a calm, confident, and high-quality game alongside Miguel Vítor, and now he is supposed to start after earning the credit last week.
The Portuguese left-back Pablo Amador, the new signing, is expected to start on the bench in his first game for the team. Kozuch is supposed to continue with Matan Baltaxa in the left-back position, after he also started last week and recorded a good game. Zahi Ahmed, who started last week and scored a wonderful goal that paved the way for Hapoel Be'er Sheva to win, is expected to leave Amir Ganah on the bench again tonight.
About 200 fans, similar to last week, will arrive at the match. Red Star Belgrade is expected to have double the amount of fans in the stands. At Hapoel Be'er Sheva, they followed the Champions League playoff draw yesterday. If the team gets past Red Star, it will meet the Danish champion Aarhus or the Azerbaijani champion Sabah in the next stage. It is clear to everyone at the club that the key is to get past the Serbs in the two meetings, and then the dream of historic qualification for the Champions League will be within reach.
