Vikingur Reykjavik vs Hapoel Beer Sheva Preview & Betting Tips - Icelanders to Show Quality at Home

Tolu Shotade

Editor

Last updated: Sun 19 Jul 2026 10:31

Tolu Shotade 19 Jul 2026

Share this article

Vikingur Reykjavik in strong home form, leading in last seven matches.
Hapoel Beer Sheva struggling, winless in five of last six & conceding regularly.
First-ever meeting; both teams fully fit with unchanged line-ups expected.

Expired

Vikingur Reykjavik (Getty Images)

Vikingur Reykjavik welcome Hapoel Beer Sheva to Vikingsvollur for the first leg of their UEFA Champions League second round qualifier.

The hosts are expected to lead at some point against the visitors, who appear below their best at the moment.

Key Stats

Vikingur Reykjavik are unbeaten in eight of their last 10 matches in all competitions.
Vikingur have led at some point in their last seven home matches in all competitions.
Hapoel Beer Sheva have failed to win five of their last six matches in all competitions.
Hapoel Beer Sheva have gone behind at some point in five of their last six matches in all competitions.

No Previous Meetings

This will be the first-ever meeting between Vikingur Reykjavik and Hapoel Beer Sheva.

Smooth Sailing for Vikingur

Vikingur Reykjavik reached the second qualifying round after claiming a 3-2 victory over Gyor. Having secured a 1-0 home victory in the first meeting, they held out for a 2-2 draw in the second leg to progress.

The Icelanders are unbeaten in eight of their last 10 matches in all competitions, although they lost 2-1 at Thor Akureyri in a domestic clash last weekend. Solvi Ottesen’s team are back on home soil for this clash and have won their last seven matches in front of their fans.

Vikingur Reykjavik have been deep in competitive action and are showing plenty of attacking quality. They have led at some point in their last seven home matches in all competitions.

Hapoel Struggling for Best Form

Hapoel Beer Sheva drew a bye from the opening round of the Champions League and are set to make their first appearance on Tuesday. They have found things difficult lately and are winless in five of their last six matches, suffering four defeats in this run.

The Ligat Ha’al side travel to Vikingsvollur off the back of a 3-1 defeat to Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Israeli Super Cup. They were second best throughout the contest, with Kings Kangwa’s first-half effort proving a mere consolation.

One of the issues for Hapoel Beer Sheva is that they seem unable to keep things tight at the back, having conceded in their last eight matches. Ran Kozuch’s team have gone behind at some point in five of their last six matches in all competitions.

Team News and Predicted Line-ups

Vikingur Reykjavik (4-3-3): Ogmundur Kristinsson; Karl Gunnarsson, Oliver Ekroth, Sveinn Thorkelsson, Helgi Gudjonsson, Tarik Ibrahimagic, Daniel Hafsteinsson, Gylfi Sigurdsson; Valdimar Ingimundarson, Nikolaj Hansen, Oskar Borgthorsson.

Vikingur Reykjavik have no injuries or suspensions and are likely to maintain much of the team that featured in the previous round. Sigurdsson got on the score sheet last time out and should continue in midfield while Ekroth is set to start in defence once again.

Hapoel Beer Sheva (4-3-3): Ofir Marciano; Guy Mizrahi, Miguel Vitor, Matan Baltaxa, Ofir Davidzada; Eliel Peretz, Lucas Ventura, Kings Kangwa; Roy Levy, Igor Zlatanovic, Amir Chaim Ganah.

Hapoel Beer Sheva also have a fully fit squad heading into this clash. Vitor and Baltaxa should continue their partnership in central defence while Zlatanovic is set to lead the line once again.

Verdict

Vikingur Reykjavik v Hapoel Beer Sheva

Vikingur Reykjavik will be keen to put on a show in front of the home fans and have taken the lead at some point in their last seven home matches.

They should maintain that trend against Hapoel Beer Sheva, who are struggling to find their best form and have a habit of falling behind.

Vikingur Reykjavik

1UP

@11/17 - 4 Units

Bet £10 Get £30

with bonus code NEWBONUS

Available to new customers only. Make a qualifying deposit of £5 or more and claim the offer within 30 days of registering your account to qualify for 300% of that amount in Bet Credits, up to a maximum of £30 in Bet Credits. Once released, your Bet Credits will be held in your account balance and are non-withdrawable. Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of qualifying bets. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Registration required. Time limits and T&Cs apply. The bonus code NEWBONUS can be used during registration but does not change the offer amount in any way. #ad

Bet at bet365

Worked as a sports anchor on radio between 2007 and 2012 before switching to television. Tolu was the lead presenter for the Italian Serie A, English Premier League and German Bundesliga on satellite television in Africa and joined SuperSport in 2017. He began writing for freetips.com in 2018 and has a deep knowledge of the African leagues as well as Europe's top 5 leagues including the UEFA Champions League and Europa League. Favourite Sports: Football addict with interests in boxing and tennis.