H. Be’er Sheva vs. OFI Crete – News and Probable Lineups

Hapoel Be’er Sheva is still seeking its first victory in the Europa League this season, as they prepare to clash with OFI Crete at Bucharest’s Superbet Arena on Thursday.

The Camels are aiming for a third consecutive win across all competitions, while O Omilos will look for their third win in four matches.

Match overview

Despite having a strong start in the Israeli Premier League, Ran Kozuch’s Be’er Sheva has struggled in UEFA’s secondary tournament.

On Sunday, the Camels secured a dominant 5-2 victory against Maccabi Petah Tikva, coming from behind after halftime with contributions from four different scorers in the second half.

This win marked a remarkable sixth consecutive league triumph for Kozuch’s squad, who recently defeated Maccabi Haifa 5-2 on October 26, leaving them in third place in the league, just one point shy of leaders Maccabi Tel Aviv after nine games.

Nevertheless, their European campaign has been challenging, with Be’er Sheva positioned 30th in the Europa League, having managed only a solitary point as of now.

This adds pressure on the nominal hosts who will be eager to close the two-point gap to the top 24 during Thursday’s fixture, particularly after suffering a 4-0 loss to Union Saint-Gilloise on matchday three.

On the other hand, Christos Kontis’s OFI kickstarted their league-phase campaign strongly and is currently above their opponents in the standings but is coming into this match in subpar form.

O Omilos enjoyed a memorable 2-0 win against Hoffenheim in their opening Europa League match, marking their first appearance in the group stage or league phase of any UEFA competition since 2000, collecting three points on home ground.

However, subsequent to that victory, Kontis’s team suffered two defeats in their European outings – losing 2-1 to Rennes on October 15 and then 2-0 to Bayer Leverkusen a week later.

These losses have placed OFI in 26th position, trailing Hoffenheim, Anderlecht, and AC Milan in the playoff places on goal difference.

Despite these challenges, the caliber of opponents faced by the visitors thus far in the competition has been significantly stronger than what Be’er Sheva is expected to present on Thursday, which may give Os Omilos confidence in returning to Crete with a positive result.

Team News

Be’er Sheva will be missing midfielder Lucas Ventura due to a hamstring injury, while Eliel Peretz remains a doubt as he recovers from a groin issue.

If Peretz cannot participate, then Hamode Kanaan and Nic Yehoshua are set to join Forson Amankwah in midfield.

In the attacking lineup, right winger Dan Biton continues his recovery from a viral heart condition he encountered in March, so it is anticipated that Igor Zlatanovic will spearhead the attack, flanked by Javon East and Zahi Ahmad.

On the side of OFI, they will be without a few young players this week, including 18-year-old defenders Konstantinos Lagoudakis (muscle) and Pavlos Kenourgiakis (knock).

In their absence, Konstantinos Kostoulas, Achilleas Poungouras, and Kresimir Krizmanic should be poised to start in front of goalkeeper Kildman Lilo.

Additionally, midfield duo Fotis Koutsoupias and Manolis Chnaris are sidelined due to respective leg and cruciate ligament injuries, so Athanasios Androutsos and Andreas Bouchalakis are expected to fill the central positions.

Hapoel Be’er Sheva probable starting XI:

Marciano; Mizrahi, Vitor, Nachmias, Amador; Forson, Yehoshua, Canaan; East, Zlatanovic, Ahmad

OFI Crete probable starting XI:

Lilo? Kostoulas, Poungouras, Krizmanic? Dickmann, Bouchalakis, Androutsos, Athanasiou; Cantalapiedra, Kodro, Nuss

So far, Be’er Sheva is still looking for a win in this Europa League season, though their domestic performances have been solid, and they could find the net during the midweek clash.

That said, OFI has shown they can compete effectively against Bundesliga and Ligue 1 teams in the tournament, and they are likely to edge this match in a close encounter.