Hapoel Be'er Sheva began the Europa League group stage with a 3-1 win against Slavia Praha.
With players that were in doubt until the last moment, Hapoel Be’er Sheva has recovered well.
Three weeks have been passed since Hapoel Be'er Sheva qualified for the Europa League group stage. Since then, they maybe had the worst preparation that they could have. Although Israel was under a nationwide lockdown due to the coronavirus outbreak, Hapoel Be'er Sheva had permission to keep and to train. The reality was different, as eight players were tested positive, including the team's key player Josué. Also, the manager Yossi Abukasis was tested positive.
According to the local health authorities, all the players were recovered and returned to train. UEFA regulations are different, and only a few hours before the kickoff, they confirmed that all the players are eligible to play. The fact that some players were in doubt led to some awkward situation. In the 40th minute, Loai Taha, one of the recovered players, suddenly fell down. He was taken out, and only after a blood pressure measurement, he was allowed to return. Hapoel Be'er Sheva didn't take any chances and substituted him at the half time.
Loai Taha, a complicated situation for a player in the coronavirus times (Hapoel Be’er Sheva FC / Lior Moskovich)
Slavia Praha was more dominant in the first half, but the first goal was scored by Hapoel Be'er Sheva. Just before the half time, Or Dadia crossed from the right-wing, and the Colombian striker Jhonathan Agudelo scored. The Czech continued to press, and in one shot of Lukáš Provod in the 75th minute, Slavia equaled.
The match became harder, but it was Josué's moment to shine. The player was among those who get the last-minute approval, but he was the only player that Hapoel Be'er Sheva could trust. In the 86th minute, he curled the ball into the box from a long range. Elton Acolatse was in the right place to find the net. Two minutes later, the Dutch players scored his second, with a kick from 35 meters over the goalkeeper that was far from his position
Elton Ecolatse, a brace in the decisive minutes (Hapoel Be’er Sheva FC / Lior Moskovich)
Hapoel Be'er Sheva shocked Slavia Praha tonight with an amazing 3-1 win. Hapoel Be'er Sheva will have no time to celebrate, as they are getting ready for their first league match after the coronavirus break against the champions Maccabi Tel Aviv. Next week they will play their second match in the Europa League, away against Nice.