Austria Vienna vs H. Beer Sheva prediction: EUROPE: Europa Conference League – Group Stage betting tips on match 2022-09-07 16:45.
Austria Vienna partake in their first European group stage for five years, albeit via the safety net of the UEFA Europa Conference League (UECL), after being humbled 6-1 on aggregate by Fenerbahçe in the Europa League playoff round. As part of that ordeal, Austria Vienna posted an 11th successive European home game without victory (D4, L7), raising doubts over their credentials here.
The Violets will once again rely on a crowd of up to 15,000 to get them going, some of whom will remember the club’s famous run to the Cup Winners’ Cup final back in 1977/78. But the continental drought here can only help Hapoel Be'er Sheva’s mindset, as they prepare for a near 3,500-km jaunt to the Franz Horr Stadium, in their maiden competitive trip to Austria.
Hapoel travel unbeaten on foreign soil in this season’s UECL (W2, D1), keeping a clean sheet in both victories. Yet they too have a sense of vulnerability, losing a second straight Ligat Ha’al game in succession at the weekend, giving up a second-minute lead to lose 2-1 against fellow European participants Maccabi Haifa.
The visitors’ last UECL trip also provided something of a reality check, with the away leg against Universitatea Craiova seeing Hapoel concede a 75th-minute penalty after suffering a dismissal. Further emphasising their plight on the road, Elyaniv Barda’s side are without a win in any European group stage away fixture since stunning Inter Milan 2-0 back in September 2016 (D2, L6), giving them much to prove here.
Players to watch: Aleksandar Jukic snatched a point for Austria Vienna in their 2-2 weekend draw against Lustenau, and Tomer Hemed can claim to have an eye for equalisers too, as his second-leg goal in Hapoel Be'er Sheva’s UECL playoff saved them from elimination – a third leveller (for 1-1) across his last four goals.
Hot stat: Four of Hapoel Be'er Sheva’s last five UECL games have witnessed a goalless first half.