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Hapoel Beer Sheva kick off their quest for UEFA Champions League football when they visit Vikingsvollur to take on Vikingur Reykjavik in the first leg of the second qualifying round on Tuesday.
Having narrowly edged out Hungarian side Gyor in the opening round last week, the home side will be eager to carry their momentum into Tuesday's contest in what promises to be a thrilling showdown between two reigning domestic champions.
Read our Vikingur Reykjavik vs Hapoel Beer Sheva preview, prediction and betting tips below, while you can also find more of our expert predictions on today's betting tips.
Vikingur Reykjavik vs Hapoel Beer Sheva key stats
- Both teams have scored in each of Hapoel Beer-Sheva's last seven games, with the seven matches ending with over 2.5 goals.
- Vikingur Reykjavik are unbeaten in 23 straight home matches across all competitions (19W 4D) since a 4-2 loss against Stjarnan Gardabaer in August 2025.
- Hapoel Beer-Sheva have lost just one of their last nine away games while claiming seven wins and two draws since January 31.
- Vikingur have netted the opening goal in eight of their last 10 matches across all competitions.
Vikingur Reykjavik vs Hapoel Beer Sheva: Both chasing first-ever Champions League group-stage appearance
Vikingur Reykjavik vs Hapoel Beer Sheva — Tale of the Tape
| Vikingur Reykjavik | vs | Hapoel Beer Sheva |
|---|---|---|
| 1st (Iceland Besta deild karla) | Position | 1st (Premier League) |
| 40 | Points | 59 |
| 49 | Goals For | 58 |
| 11 | Goals Against | 25 |
| 8 | Clean Sheets | 13 |
| 2nd | Home / Away Rank | 2nd |
Vikingur Reykjavik had to dig deep in the first round of the Champions League qualifiers as they held on to secure a 3-2 aggregate win over Hungarian outfit Gyor.
Having snatched a 1-0 victory in the first leg courtesy of a 92nd-minute strike from Nikolaj Hansen, a second-half goal from former Everton man Gylfi Sigurdsson helped the Icelandic outfit fight back from behind and force a 2-2 draw in the second leg to go through on aggregate.
Solvi Geir's men secured a spot in the UCL qualifiers following an outstanding league run last season, when they clinched their eighth Besta deild karla title with two games to spare, finishing 12 points clear of second-placed Valur.
Following their triumph over Gyor, Vikingur have equalled their deepest run in Champions League qualifying phase by reaching the second qualifying round, a feat they first achieved in the 2022-23 season, when they defeated The New Saints 2-1 on aggregate in the first round before a narrow 6-5 loss to Malmo over two legs.
While they have never featured in the competition proper, Hapoel Beer Sheva are the more experienced side in this phase of the competition, having made it to the playoff round back in the 2017-18 campaign, where they fell to a 5-2 on aggregate defeat against Maribor.
However, confidence took a hit in their opening game of the 2026-27 Israeli domestic calendar last Thursday when Ran Kozuch's side fell to a 3-1 loss against Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Super Cup.
Kings Kangwa continued last season's impressive form with a 15th-minute strike to cancel out Saied Abu Farchi's early opener, but Dor Peretz netted after the half-time break to restore Maccabi's lead before Farchi added his second of the game to make sure of the result.
Like Tuesday's hosts, Hapoel Beer Sheva secured a spot in the UCL qualifiers after clinching the Israeli Premier League crown, finishing three points above runners-up Beitar Jerusalem to secure their sixth league title and a first since 2018.
While they will be looking to take a crucial first-leg victory back to Israel, they visit Vikingsvollur, where Vikingur Reykjavik are on a dominant 23-game unbeaten run, claiming 19 wins and four draws since a 4-2 loss against Stjarnan Gardabaer in August 2025.
Whispers’ prediction: Vikingur Reykjavik 2-1 Hapoel Beer Sheva
| Vikingur Reykjavik | vs | Hapoel Beer Sheva |
|---|---|---|
LWWDL |
Form | L
|
| 7 | Goals For | 1 |
| 11 | Goals Against | 3 |
WD |
Champions League qualification |
Whispers predicts: Vikingur Reykjavik vs Hapoel Beer Sheva
The odds point towards a tough contest at Vikingsvollur, but the bookmakers have Vikingur as slight favourites to get the result at 13/10 (2.30), and given their dominance on home soil, this is a likely outcome.
Both teams have scored in each of Hapoel Beer Sheva's last seven outings and BTTS – Yes at 61/100 (1.61) is another huge possibility, while Vikingur to win + BTTS at 7/2 (4.50) is perhaps the value bet for us.
Vikingur 2-4 goal range is also another tempting option at 6/5 (2.20), while the correct score market has a correct score of 2-1 priced at 9/1 (10.00).
> BTTS – Yes at 61/100 (1.61) | Likelihood: Possible
> Vikingur 2-4 goal range at 6/5 (2.20) | Likelihood: Possible
> Correct score: 2-1 at 9/1 (10.00) | Likelihood: Outsider