Who will get off to the better start in the group stage?

To kick off the Europa League group stage, our Hapoel Beer Sheva vs. Dinamo Zagreb preview features two reigning national champions who would have loved to be playing in the Champions League. While the Israeli champions were eliminated by Sabah, the Modri (meaning “the Blues”) missed out on qualifying for the Champions League after losing to Viking Stavanger. Now the Croatians—who, just like the Israelis, are reigning national champions but currently sit in fourth place in their domestic league—are looking to get off to a strong start, at least in the Europa League. For the Reds from southern Israel, home-field advantage is once again out of the question, as the match will be played on neutral ground in Bucharest due to security concerns.

Both teams generally adopt an attacking style of play. The Modri have scored in all 13 competitive matches of the 2026–27 season, and the Israelis have also scored at least one goal in six consecutive matches across all competitions. Accordingly, the Hapoel Beer Sheva vs. Dinamo Zagreb prediction that over 2.5 goals will be scored in this match is particularly interesting, as their offensive focus has mostly come at the expense of their defense. The Croatians just lost 2–4 to Osijek on Saturday, conceding four goals in the process. While the Reds from southern Israel won 2–0 at Petach-Tikva on Sunday and once again kept a clean sheet, they had conceded a total of twelve goals in their four previous competitive matches.

We also expect goals from both sides, which is why this bet could be placed via the convenient Betano app for Hapoel Beer Sheva vs. Dinamo Zagreb at odds of 1.57. However, since we generally see the Modri as having the advantage, it would also be conceivable to combine a slightly more moderate goal bet with the prediction that Dinamo Zagreb will pick up at least one point in Bucharest.

Hapoel Beer Sheva – Dinamo Zagreb Head-to-Head Record

Head-to-Head: 0 – 1 – 1

In the 2018–19 season, the two teams crossed paths once before in the UEFA Champions League qualifiers. After Dinamo Zagreb won the first leg at home in spectacular fashion, 5–0, a 2–2 draw in Israel in the second leg was enough for the Modri to secure their ticket to the next round.

Hapoel Be’er Sheva – Dinamo Zagreb Prediction

Generally speaking, we see the Croatians as having the advantage, although it’s worth noting that Dinamo Zagreb not only stumbled against Viking Stavanger in the Champions League playoffs but also managed to secure only four out of a possible nine points in their last three 1. HNL league matches, during which they conceded six goals. On Saturday, the reigning champions conceded four goals in a 2–4 loss in Osijek. However, Hapoel Beer Sheva also lost its most recent home game in the Israeli Premier League, falling 1-4 to Maccabi Tel Aviv. Neither team, therefore, is entering the Europa League group stage with the highest level of confidence, especially since they both advanced via the Champions League qualifiers and suffered early setbacks there as well.

Since both teams generally play an attacking style, we expect a high-scoring match on neutral ground in Romania. This is consistent with the fact that the two previous meetings between these teams have always featured at least four goals.