Hapoel Beer Sheva vs Dinamo Zagreb: High-Stakes European Clash

Hapoel Beer Sheva and Dinamo Zagreb meet again, eight years after their last European duel, with both clubs arriving as league leaders and with something to prove.

The match kicks off on 16 September 2026 at 20:00, a prime-time stage for two sides who know each other’s European scars all too well.

Form Guide: Beer Sheva’s Surge Meets Zagreb’s Stumbles

Hapoel Beer Sheva come into this one with momentum, but also a bruise.

Ran Kozuch’s side have won four of their last five matches, all in Champions League qualifying, yet their most recent outing ended in a jolt: a 5-2 defeat to Sabah FK that cut short their push for Europe’s top competition. Before that collapse, they had built a serious head of steam, knocking out FK Crvena Zvezda home and away and easing past Vikingur Reykjavik 2-0.

Across those five games, Beer Sheva scored eight and conceded nine. Not exactly watertight, but undeniably dangerous.

Dinamo Zagreb’s recent run tells a more uneven story. Mario Kovacevic’s team have taken two wins, one draw and two defeats from their last five games, split between the HNL and Champions League qualification. Their latest result, a 4-2 loss to Osijek in Croatia’s top flight, underlined their defensive frailties. A 3-1 defeat to Viking in European qualifying added to the concern.

Still, Zagreb have shown flashes of their usual cutting edge, putting away HNK Gorica and NK Varazdin in that same stretch. Nine goals scored, ten conceded. Open, chaotic, and unpredictable.

History Tilts Zagreb’s Way

These two have danced this dance before.

Their last meeting came on 31 July 2018 in Champions League qualification, a wild 2-2 draw in the second leg at Giulesti. The damage, though, had already been done a week earlier. Dinamo Zagreb had crushed Hapoel Beer Sheva 5-0 at home in the first leg, effectively ending the tie before the return match even kicked off.

Across those two games, Zagreb’s record is emphatic: one win, one draw, and a combined score of 7-2. That history hangs over this fixture. Beer Sheva know exactly how ruthless the Croatian champions can be when they smell weakness.

Team News: Coaches Ready, Details to Come

On the touchline, the picture is clear enough.

Hapoel Beer Sheva are led by Ran Kozuch, while Dinamo Zagreb arrive under the guidance of Mario Kovacevic. Beyond that, the details are still under wraps. No confirmed injury lists, no suspension news, no probable lineups have been released yet for either side. Those updates will drop closer to kick-off.

For now, all we know is that both coaches have attacking weapons and leaky defences. That usually points one way: a game that could swing wildly.

Table Talk: Two Leaders Collide

Both clubs currently sit top of their respective Europa League tables. It sets up a meeting that feels bigger than a routine group-stage fixture. First versus first, with early control of the section on the line.

Beer Sheva arrive with the sting of recent elimination from Champions League qualification but the belief that comes from taking down big names like FK Crvena Zvezda. Dinamo come in with pedigree, a heavier European résumé, and the memory of that 5-0 home win in 2018.

The question now is simple: does the old script repeat, or does Beer Sheva finally flip the narrative and turn a painful history into a statement night in Europe?