Hapoel Beer Sheva host Dinamo Zagreb in Europa League league-phase opener
Hapoel Beer Sheva begin their UEFA Europa League league-stage campaign against Dinamo Zagreb on 16 September 2026, with the match staged at the Superbet Arena - Giulesti in Bucharest despite Hapoel Beer Sheva being listed as the home side.
The fixture marks matchday one of the competition's league phase, offering both clubs an early opportunity to gather points before the group of matches widens later in the stage.
Form and history
Both teams arrive with identical recent records, each having won two, drawn one and lost two of their last five matches, leaving little to separate them heading into the encounter. Hapoel Beer Sheva's sequence reads WLDWL, while Dinamo Zagreb's reads LWWDL, suggesting two sides who have blown hot and cold in equal measure over the same stretch.
The two clubs have met before, back in July 2018 during Champions League qualifying. Dinamo Zagreb won the first leg 5-0 before the return finished 2-2, with Hapoel Beer Sheva unable to overturn the earlier deficit. That tie remains the only previous meeting between the sides.
With both teams level on recent results and history offering Dinamo Zagreb the stronger precedent from their last meetings, Thursday's contest in Bucharest looks an open opening test for two sides seeking a positive start to their European campaign.