Liam Duckstein
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Two struggling Europa League sides meet in Bucharest on Thursday night, and the venue alone tells a story. Hapoel Beer Sheva are technically the home side, yet their “home” fixture is being staged at Giulești rather than anywhere in Israel, a quirk of European competition logistics that strips away any real home advantage. Both clubs sit near the bottom of the 36-team League Phase table with a single win between them in three rounds, which makes this one feel like a must-win fixture for pride and points alike.
Hapoel arrive having scored goals for fun domestically, netting ten in their last two league outings. OFI Crete, by contrast, have leaked goals against continental opposition all autumn. We predict goals will flow again here, perhaps more than either coach would like.
Keep an eye on Igor Zlatanović up top for Hapoel. He has scored five goals in his last five appearances, a scoring rate that no one else in this squad comes close to matching. For OFI, Thiago Nuss is the player to watch, leading his side in shots (15) and drawing fouls constantly, a genuine outlet when OFI need to relieve pressure.
Hot stat: Hapoel Beer Sheva have won back-to-back domestic matches by the identical 5-2 scoreline, a run that shows real attacking fire but also a defense that keeps conceding two.
| 🏆 Tournament: | UEFA Europa League 2026/27, League Phase |
| 🏟 Venue: | Giulești, Bucharest |
| 🗓️ Date: | 05.11.2026 |
| ⏰ Time: | 22:00 CEST |
Hapoel Beer Sheva vs OFI Crete prediction
We lean toward a narrow Hapoel win, but the real value sits in the goals markets rather than the moneyline itself. Hapoel have scored thirteen goals in their last five matches combined, OFI have shipped goals against weaker finishers than Zlatanović, and neither defense inspires confidence right now. A 2-1 or 2-2 scoreline feels well within range, and backing both teams to score alongside the match going over 2.5 total goals looks like the smarter route than a flat home win bet at short odds.
Style-wise, Hapoel commit more fouls (71 in five games against OFI’s 59) and pick up more yellow cards (16 versus 9), which tends to break up OFI’s rhythm but also hands OFI free kicks in dangerous areas, something they have used 74 times compared to Hapoel’s 51. OFI edge the passing numbers too, completing 1899 of 2299 attempted passes at a tidier accuracy than Hapoel’s 2191 from 2587. That discipline gap suggests a scrappier, stop-start contest with set pieces playing a bigger role than usual.
| 🔥Hot Tip: | Igor Zlatanović to score anytime |
| ⚽Total Goals: | Over 2.5 |
| 💥Both Teams To Score: | Yes |
| 🎯Total Corners: | Over 9.5 |
Team Analysis
Hapoel Beer Sheva have won three of their last five matches overall, though the pattern is uneven. Their two defeats came against continental opposition, Royale Union SG and AZ Alkmaar, while both wins arrived back home in domestic league play by 5-2 scorelines. Their most recent outing against Maccabi Petah Tikva ended 5-2, with Zlatanović again doing the damage. In our preview of Royale Union SG vs Hapoel Beer Sheva we called a tight home win for Union combined with both teams scoring, and the 0-4 result backed the home win part of that call but left the BTTS angle short, Hapoel never got on the scoresheet that night.
OFI Crete have won two and lost three of their last five games, though their most recent result was a 1-0 win over Panetolikos that at least stopped the bleeding defensively. Before that they lost to AEL Larisa and were beaten 2-0 by Bayer Leverkusen in continental play, a result that exposed just how far off the pace their backline is against sharper attacks. In our preview of OFI Crete vs Bayer Leverkusen we backed a comfortable Leverkusen win with goals to spare, and the 0-2 final score confirmed the win, though the total stayed under what we expected.
Most recent Head-to-Head Matches
Hapoel Beer Sheva and OFI Crete have no recent competitive meetings on record before this one, so there is no past head-to-head form to lean on here.
🚨Check out our dedicated Hapoel Beer Sheva vs OFI Crete stats page for more info.
OFI Crete. Source: Official Facebook
Pre-game odds and win probability: Hapoel Beer Sheva the favourite
- Moneyline Hapoel Beer Sheva 2.08 | OFI Crete 3.28
- Draw 3.60
Bookmakers give Hapoel a 45% implied chance of winning against OFI’s 29%, with the draw sitting at 26%. That gap feels fair given Hapoel’s superior domestic scoring form, though it probably undersells how shaky both defenses have looked in Europe. We would not be shocked by a draw given how error-prone both sides are at the back, but the straight win market edges toward Hapoel in our view.
Possible Starting Lineups
Hapoel Beer Sheva possible starting eleven
- GK: Ofir Marciano
- DF: Miguel Vitor, Pedro Miguel Santos Amador, guy mizrahi, Djibril diop
- MF: Niv Yehoshua, Forson Amankwah
- FW: Javon East, Amir Chaim Ganah, zahi ahmed, Igor Zlatanović
Kozuch has stuck with a 4-2-3-1 shape in recent matches, and there is little reason to change it with Zlatanović in such rich form. Niv Yehoshua and Forson Amankwah shield the back four while supplying the final ball, and Zlatanović leads the line as the obvious focal point to watch.
OFI Crete possible starting eleven
- GK: Klidman Lilo
- DF: Dimitris Nikolaou, Achilleas Poungouras, Krešimir Krizmanić, Nikolaos Athanasiou
- MF: Athanasios Androutsos, Andreas Bouchalakis, Aitor Cantalapiedra
- FW: Thiago Nuss, Kenan Kodro, Taxiarchis Fountas
Kontis typically sets up in a 4-3-3, and the front three of Nuss, Kodro and Fountas have carried most of the attacking burden lately. Nuss in particular deserves attention given his shot volume and his knack for winning free kicks in good areas.
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Hapoel Beer Sheva. Source: Official Facebook
TipsGG Match Prediction
We predict Hapoel Beer Sheva edge this one, perhaps 2-1, in a match where both teams find the net. Hapoel’s attacking numbers from their last two domestic rounds are too strong to ignore, and OFI’s defense has already shown it can be broken by far sharper opponents than Zlatanović alone. To be honest, neither side looks capable of keeping a clean sheet right now, which is why BTTS and over 2.5 total goals feel like the sturdier plays alongside a cautious lean toward the home win.
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