Hapoel Beer Sheva vs Dinamo Zagreb: A Key Europa League Clash
Two clubs who expect to live in European group stages meet again, this time with a Europa League edge and a familiar sense of jeopardy.
Hapoel Beer Sheva host Dinamo Zagreb on 16 September 2026, with kick-off set for 20:00. The stakes are obvious: both sides sit top of their Europa League standings, both have recent European scars, and both know this kind of night can shape an entire season.
Beer Sheva’s wild qualifying ride
Ran Kozuch’s Beer Sheva come into this one with a record that reads like a rollercoaster: four wins and one defeat from their last five outings, all in Champions League qualification.
The run ended brutally. A 5-2 loss to Sabah FK cut short their Champions League push and exposed a soft underbelly at the back. Eight goals scored, nine conceded in those five games tell the story: dangerous going forward, vulnerable when the game opens up.
Before Sabah, though, Beer Sheva were ruthless. They knocked out FK Crvena Zvezda with wins home and away, then handled Vikingur Reykjavik 2-0. Those results showed a side that can control big occasions, especially in front of their own fans.
Injury and suspension details remain under wraps for now, with Kozuch keeping his cards close. Full squad information will only emerge closer to kick-off, but the pattern is clear: Beer Sheva arrive battle-hardened, but not unscarred.
Dinamo’s uneven build-up
On the other side, Mario Kovacevic’s Dinamo Zagreb have been juggling domestic demands in the HNL with their own European ambitions. The last five games brought two wins, one draw and two defeats across league and Champions League qualification.
Their most recent outing was a warning sign. A 4-2 defeat to Osijek in the Croatian top flight left questions about defensive organisation and game management. Before that, a 3-1 loss to Viking in European qualifying added to the sense of inconsistency.
Yet Dinamo still carry punch. Across those five fixtures they scored nine and conceded ten, mirroring Beer Sheva’s open, high-risk profile. Wins over HNK Gorica and NK Varazdin reminded everyone that, when they click, they can still overpower opponents.
Like Beer Sheva, Dinamo have not confirmed their probable lineup or any injury or suspension issues. The final picture will sharpen as the match approaches, but the numbers already paint a clear image: this is a side that can hurt you and can be hurt, often in the same 90 minutes.
Old wounds, old lessons
These two know each other, and the history is lopsided.
Their last meetings came in Champions League qualification back in 2018. Dinamo Zagreb blew Beer Sheva away 5-0 at home in the first leg, effectively killing the tie before the return game. The second leg, played on July 31, 2018, finished 2-2 at Giulesti, a draw that changed nothing in the aggregate picture.
Across those two matches, Dinamo’s superiority was brutal: one win, one draw, a combined scoreline of 7-2. That record hangs over this fixture. Beer Sheva will remember the humiliation; Dinamo will remember the control.
Top of the pile, but for how long?
Both clubs currently sit first in their Europa League table, a detail that adds an extra layer of tension. This is not just about revenge or pride. It is about positioning for a deep run in Europe, about prize money, prestige, and the kind of nights both fanbases crave.
Beer Sheva arrive with momentum dulled but not broken. Dinamo come in scarred by recent defeats yet still carrying the swagger of a club used to qualifying.
Something has to give.
