Hapoel Be'er Sheva and OFI Look to Kick-Start Europa League Campaigns at Arena Giulesti

With just one point from three matches and a goal difference of minus 5, Hapoel Be'er Sheva arrives at this Europa League matchday with urgent need for a result. Standing in the way is OFI, who aren't exactly flush either, with just three points and a loss of their own to make up for in the overall standings. At Arena Giulesti, two teams who have yet to find their footing this campaign will measure their shared sense of urgency.

Hapoel's record in the competition tells its own story: 0 wins, 1 draw and 2 losses, with just one goal scored and six conceded across three matches. Recent form, however, paints a different picture. Over their last five matches across all competitions, they've posted three wins and two losses, closing out that stretch with back-to-back victories. It's a sign the team isn't in as rough shape as its continental ledger suggests.

OFI, for their part, carry a slightly better record in the tournament: 1 win, 0 draws and 2 losses, with three goals scored and four allowed. Over their last five matches in all competitions, they picked up two wins and three losses, without back-to-back wins in their two most recent outings. In the overall table, just two points separate the two sides, a reminder that tonight's meeting pits together two squads chasing the same goal: climbing out of the bottom of the standings.

It's also worth examining each team's season-long trends, though it should be noted this is a different sample and shouldn't be confused with the tournament-only record. Hapoel, across those three 2026 Europa League matches home and away, averages 0.333 goals scored and 2 conceded per game, with a 33% clean sheet rate and their most productive scoring window between the 46th and 60th minutes; Amankwah Forson stands out as their top offensive threat in that sample. OFI, in the same competition and venue splits, average 1 goal scored and 1.333 conceded per match, also with a 33% clean sheet rate, but tend to strike earlier, between kickoff and the 15th minute. Taxiarchis Fountas, Aitor Cantalapiedra and Georgios Kanellopoulos share the scoring lead for the Greek side in that sample.

Probable Lineups

Hapoel Be'er Sheva, under manager Ran Kozuch, would likely field Ofir Marciano in goal behind a back line of Pedro Amador, Guy Mizrahi, Miguel Vitor and Djibril Diop. The midfield projects to include Amankwah Forson, Niv Yehoshua, Mohammad Kna'an and Zahi Ahmed, with Igor Zlatanovic and Javon East forming the estimated attacking pair up top. This lineup is drawn from recent matches with medium reliability, so it shouldn't be taken as confirmed.

On OFI's side, under Christos Kontis, the projection (low reliability) has Klidman Lilo in goal, with Dimitrios Nikolaou, Kresimir Krizmanic and Achilleas Poungouras across the back. The likely midfield brings together Nikolaos Athanasiou, Lorenzo Dickmann, Andreas Bouchalakis and Thanasis Androutsos, with Thiago Nuss, Kenan Kodro and Taxiarchis Fountas forming a three-man attack.

What the Numbers Say

Our model gives a slight edge to the home side, though that's far from a settled outcome.

This is our own estimate based on season trends, not a betting line or a definitive forecast. Expected goals back up that slight home lean as well: 1.8 for Hapoel against 1.13 for OFI, for an estimated total of 2.93 goals in the match. The broader trends support that offensive reading too: a 50% chance of more than 2.5 goals and a 22% chance of both teams scoring.

With so little separating them in the standings and similarly pressing needs, the match at Arena Giulesti could be the chance for one of these two clubs to start righting the ship in this year's Europa League.