- Hapoel form: Hapoel Beer-Sheva have won one and lost four of their last five matches in all competitions.
- Vikingur form: Vikingur Reykjavik have won three, drawn one and lost one of their last five in all competitions.
- Recent result: Vikingur Reykjavik overcame Hapoel Beer-Sheva 2-1, but then fell to Thor Akureyri in their Icelandic league.
Can Hapoel bounce back from Vikingur reverse?
This is the second meeting of Hapoel Beer-Sheva and Vikingur Reykjavik in the UEFA Champions League Qualification 2026, but the stakes will be much higher when they clash at Haladas Sportkomplexum in Hungary on Wednesday.
Vikingur edged Hapoel 2-1 in a competitive first matchup, but slipped to Thor Akureyri in the Icelandic league at the weekend, so they still have momentum, even if they did have a stumble.
Hapoel arrive on the back of a four-match losing streak, with Ran Kozuch's side coming off defeats to Maccabi Tel-Aviv and Vikingur. The stats don't lie with this side, they have won five, drawn one and lost four of their last ten in all competitions. It's not the run of form that will give confidence to Kozuch's men.
Kozuch has been Hapoel's coach since 1st July 2024 and his team are a well-drilled 4-3-3 side that are a good mix of disciplined structure and patience in possession. They like to use the width of the field and are quite selective with their pressing, preferring to manage the game and not get into total chaos.
Vikingur have the better form
Playing style
Sölvi Ottesen's Vikingur side are the happier side in a more compact shape and are best suited to playing a low-to-mid block. They are equally adept at punishing opponents when they are caught out of position in transition, and they are an immediate threat on set plays.
Form and defence
Their form is better than their opponents, with seven wins, one draw and two defeats in their last 10 in all competitions.
Both of these sides have some great attacking options, Hapoel have scored 19 goals in their last 10 and they have some bite up front, while Vikingur have conceded 12 in their last 10, an average of 1.20 per game, which tells me their backline is solid.
Expect both teams to score in Hungary
The odds have Hapoel at 1.7, Vikingur at 4.9 and the draw at 3.9.
- Hapoel should edge this battle in the end, but I think Vikingur have the momentum and edge to make this close.
- I am taking Over 2.5 goals at 1.85 and Both Teams to Score at 1.82 in this clash because I think it will be a competitive match.
