Europa League: Besiktas- Hapoel Beer Sheva
I spoke about Hapoel Beer Sheva ahead of their home Champions League second leg playoff game with Celtic, after they had lost 5-2 in Glasgow.............
I think that this will be a very different game, Celtic were very fortunate not to lose at Astana, where they fought a rearguard action for most of the 90 minutes and they have won just 9 of 62 , including 2 of their last 14, away starts in Europe and have kept just two clean sheets in the last 20 ( in Azerbaijan and Iceland).Hapoel Beer Sheva have great confidence from their first domestic title in 40 years last season and head coach Barak Bakhar feels there is still life in this and rested key players for tonight in their league opener on Saturday.
HBS are a special team and have very much a them against us mentality domestically, Beersheba being in the "wilderness " of the South and their title win last season was described as "doing a Leicester City", which is a phrase we are going to hear far too much of ! To get some feel of where this team are and where they have come from, there was an interesting article on the Guardian website, which was reproduced from The Blizzard. Celtic can lose by 2 and still progress and I think they will look to keep this tight, which they are ill equipped and unused to doing and I expect the host to edge this narrowly and both teams to celebrate come the end of 90 minutes.
HBS won that 2-0 and were close to a third goal and eliminating the Scottish champions. They then played in the group stage of the Europa League and did the double over Internazionale and drew twice with Southampton to qualify. That they have performed so well across what will be, after today, a 14th major European tie this season (the same as they have played in the rest of their history combined) and still lead their domestic league after 23 rounds, highlights the quality they possess and even after losing the home leg of this tie 3-1, I feel they would like to go out showing themselves in a similarly good light and not meekly, with a whimper. They have spoken about coming to win and that whilst they know Besiktas are a great team, that they will allow them many "chances". Hosts have an edge in quality of course and have done the hard work, but they have a derby game with Galatasaray in a few days time, which they will be desperate not to lose and concentration could wander tonight, especially if they score and I would not rule out a narrow away win totally, 1-2/2-1/2-2 all feel possible and all are "over", so it will have to be ........
1 unit "over" 2.5 goals 2.12 asian line/Sportmarket.
Good Luck.
