Hapoel Be'er Sheva will face Víkingur Reykjavík in the Champions League second qualifying round, after the Icelandic champions eliminated Győr 3-2 on aggregate. Sport5 report that Víkingur followed a 1-0 home win with a 2-2 draw in Hungary, enough to see off the Hungarian champions and confirm Be'er Sheva's next European opponent.
UEFA's official draw record confirms the winner of the Víkingur-Győr tie was paired with Be'er Sheva. The first leg falls in Iceland, with the return match designated as Be'er Sheva's home fixture. UEFA lists the second-round ties for 21/22 July and 28/29 July, though the club's own schedule should be treated as the final word on kick-off times and venue details.
The result changes the character of Be'er Sheva's preparation. Instead of facing the more storied Hungarian champions, Ran Kozhuk's side will now meet a team already operating at competitive speed: Sport5 report that Víkingur are leading Iceland's domestic league and have won 13 of their first 14 matches, a reminder that momentum can matter as much as budget or reputation.
Víkingur's route through the first round also demonstrated the value of protecting a lead without simply sitting on it — they scored twice in the return leg and survived a level match to advance. Be'er Sheva will need to manage both the artificial surface and the trip to Iceland while staying alert to transition moments, rather than assuming this is the softer half of the original draw.
Victory in the tie would send Be'er Sheva into the third qualifying round and open up another layer of European possibility. For now, the task is more immediate: control the away leg, deny the Icelandic champions a first-leg platform, and bring a manageable contest back for the return.
The squad flew out to Iceland on Saturday afternoon, reportedly on a direct charter of roughly seven hours arranged by owner Alona Barkat. The early departure is meant to give players time to adjust to the cold and to the artificial pitch on which Tuesday's first leg, kicking off at 22:00 Israel time, will be played.
They travel without João Victor. Reports in Israel identify the absentee as the club's new Brazilian winger — not former captain Miguel Vítor — and say he has suffered a hamstring tear expected to keep him out of both legs of this round and probably the next, though a scheduled MRI scan should offer a clearer timeline. No other absences were reported.
