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

Hapoel Be’er Sheva will be looking to overturn a one-goal deficit on Wednesday as they host Vikingur Reykjavik at Turner Stadium for the second leg of their Champions League second qualifying round fixture.

The Icelandic team secured a narrow 2-1 victory in last week’s first leg at Víkingsvollur, marking the first competitive meeting between both teams.

Match overview

Despite Hapoel having slightly less possession—just two percent less than their opponents in the first leg in Iceland—the difference in offensive prowess was more pronounced. The Camels managed only five shots total, with two on target, in comparison to Vikingur’s 13 attempts, and that disparity ultimately proved critical.

Nikolaj Hansen opened the scoring just three minutes into the second half, but Kings Kangwa equalized shortly thereafter. Although Niv Yehoshua appeared to give Hapoel a 2-1 lead, his goal was disallowed for offside before Hansen completed his brace in the 86th minute to finalize the scoreline.

This defeat extended a challenging streak for Hapoel, who came into the match with a 3-1 loss to Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Israeli Super Cup following a mixed pre-season, winning only one of three friendly fixtures (D1, L1).

The Camels have lost four successive competitive matches, having also concluded the 2025-26 campaign with a 2-1 loss to Maccabi Tel Aviv in the State Cup final after suffering a 5-2 defeat at Turner Stadium on the last matchday of their title-winning Ligat ha’Al season.

A significant worry for Hapoel has been their lack of defensive stability, conceding at least two goals in each of their last eight games. However, they have managed to score in every one of those matches, including all five competitive outings during that stretch.

While coach Kozuch seeks better balance at both ends as his team attempts to nullify their deficit on Wednesday, the Camels will also hope to avoid a repeat of previous history; their last Champions League campaign ended at this stage after a first-leg loss to Dinamo Zagreb in 2018-19, despite drawing the return match.

Conversely, Vikingur is participating at this stage of the competition for the first time after advancing past Gyor with a 3-2 aggregate score, winning the first leg in Iceland and drawing 2-2 in Hungary. The Vikes would be more than happy with a similar outcome here.

Heading into Wednesday’s second leg with consecutive victories under their belt, Solvi Geir Ottesen Jonsson’s squad celebrated last week’s European success with a commanding 5-1 win over Keflavik. Scorers included Karl Gunnarsson, Stigur Thordarson, Oskar Borgthorsson, Tarik Ibrahimagic, and Armann Finnbogason.

This result placed the Reykjavik club eight points clear at the top of the Besta deild karla, having secured 14 wins in their first 16 league matches of the campaign (D1, L1), highlighting a strong title defense after winning the championship last season by a margin of 12 points over Valur.

As they approach Wednesday, Vikingur will draw confidence from their remarkable form, having lost only twice in their last 27 matches across all competitions (W23, D2). They have also scored at least twice in 22 of those fixtures, a record that should bolster their chances against a Hapoel team that is currently struggling defensively.

Team News

Hapoel will have to do without Joao Victor due to injury, while fellow summer recruit Yehoshua is pushing for a starting spot after making his full debut in the first leg.

Zambian midfielder Kangwa, who is expected to make his final appearance for the club before transferring to Panathinaikos, will be aiming to leave on a high note after scoring in consecutive matches.

Meanwhile, Vikingur has no new injury issues to report, though veteran goalkeeper Ingvar Jonsson remains unavailable.

Manager Ottesen made four alterations for last weekend’s victory against Keflavik, but defenders Karl Gunnarsson, Oliver Ekroth, Gunnar Vatnhamar, and Helgi Gudjonsson all retained their spots in the lineup and are anticipated to start again.

Veteran midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson is also likely to keep his place in the middle of the park following a solid performance against Keflavik. First-leg standout Hansen is expected to return to the starting lineup after being rested last weekend.

Hapoel Be’er Sheva probable starting XI:

Martian; Mizrahi, Michael Vitor, Diop, Davidzada; Kangwa, Luke Ventura, Joshua; Stone, Zlatanovic, Ganah

Vikingur Reykjavik probable starting XI:

Fridriksson; Gunnarsson, Ekroth, Vatnhamar, Gudjonsson; Sigurdsson, Ingimundarson, Hafsteinsson; Borgthorsson, Hansen, Thrandarson

Hapoel will be supported by their fanbase and possess enough attacking talent to pose challenges for Vikingur, but their shaky defensive record implies they may struggle to keep the visitors at bay.

On the other hand, Vikingur has demonstrated ample attacking potential in recent weeks, and it is anticipated that the Icelandic champions will secure a draw, allowing them to reach the third qualifying round for the first time in history.