NOT EVEN A MAN ADVANTAGE WAS ENOUGH: Zvezda defeated by Hapoel in the Champions League qualifiers! (VIDEO)

Crvena zvezda took a major step backward in its bid to reach the UEFA Champions League play-offs. The Serbian champions were beaten 1-0 by Hapoel Be’er Sheva in the first leg of the third qualifying round, played in Szombathely, Hungary, and will now have to overturn the deficit at the Rajko Mitić Stadium next week if they want to keep their European dream alive.

Although they entered the match as favorites, Dejan Stanković’s side failed to live up to expectations. The Red-and-Whites created several promising chances but paid a heavy price for mistakes in their build-up play and lapses in defensive concentration. Even the fact that they postponed their Serbian league match against Radnik because of this two-legged tie failed to produce the desired result.

The opening stages of the match were tight and fragmented. Hapoel pressed Zvezda’s back line aggressively, making it difficult to play out from the back, while the game itself was interrupted by numerous fouls and lacked any real rhythm.

The first clear opportunity fell to Mirko Ivanić, who attempted to chip goalkeeper Ofir Marciano but failed to beat him. Shortly afterward, he threatened again following an excellent run by Osman Bukari, but failed to connect cleanly with the ball. Before halftime, Bruno Duarte also came close to scoring, but his angled effort was stopped by the impressive Israeli goalkeeper.

The punishment for those missed chances came in the 38th minute. After poor reactions from Mateus and new signing Derek Lukassen, who struggled under pressure, Zahi Ahmad won possession and calmly found the net for what proved to be the only goal of the match. Hapoel could have doubled its lead before the break after hitting the crossbar.

Stanković immediately tried to change the course of the game at the start of the second half. Marko Arnautović, Timi Max Elšnik, and Muhamed Cham came on, and Zvezda adopted a much more attacking approach.

The key moment of the second half came after an hour of play when Matan Baltaxa received two yellow cards within the space of just a few seconds, leaving Hapoel down to ten men. Spanish referee Jesús Gil Manzano first allowed play to continue after a foul on Osman Bukari before showing Baltaxa a second yellow card, followed by a red, for another challenge moments later.

However, Zvezda failed to turn its numerical advantage into a goal. Cham came close with a long-range effort, while Arnautović also threatened with a header, but Marciano continued his outstanding performance between the posts. The Israeli side dropped deep, defending its lead and waiting for counterattacking opportunities.

At one point, Hapoel found the net for a second time through Eliel Peretz, but the goal was correctly ruled out for offside. Late in the match, there was further drama when Gil Manzano initially showed Derek Lukassen a straight red card following a challenge on Javon East, but after consulting VAR, he overturned the decision and allowed the Zvezda defender to remain on the pitch.

Until the final whistle, play was almost exclusively confined to Hapoel’s penalty area, but despite relentless pressure, the Red-and-Whites could not find an equalizer. As a result, the return leg in Belgrade will be the match of the season for Dejan Stanković’s team, which will have to overturn a one-goal deficit in front of its home supporters to secure a place in the next round of the Champions League qualifiers.

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