Villarreal vs H. Beer Sheva prediction: EUROPE: Europa Conference League – Group Stage betting tips on match 2022-10-26 16:45.
As manager Unai Emery waves goodbye to the club he led to the 2020/21 UEFA Europa League (UEL) – their only major trophy – Villarreal must now steady the ship as they welcome Hapoel Be'er Sheva in the penultimate round of UEFA Europa Conference League (UECL) Group C. Making the switch to Premier League side Aston Villa, the loss of such an influential figure in the form of Emery, who also took Villarreal to the semi-finals of the Champions League last season, may come as a big blow, but at least Villarreal’s place in the UECL knockouts is already secured due to a superb 100% group stage record (W4).
The Yellow Submarine will finish top whatever the result and are the only side left in the UECL to have won a major European trophy this century, so they’ll play for pride whilst aiming to impress new coach Quique Setién. Driving fans wild with a last-gasp 2-1 victory over Almería last time out, Villarreal have now won six of their last seven home games (D1), albeit at the Estadi Ciutat de València due to a revamp of their usual Estadio de la Cerámica, in a run that includes a 5-0 thumping of Austria Vienna in their last UECL outing.
Villarreal may be the only UECL side to have already booked a place in the round of 16 but the story is very different for visitors Hapoel, who despite appearing in their ninth-consecutive European campaign are still without a win this term in the competition proper (D3, L1) and now know that a failure to find victory here could see them fail to progress.
However, the Israelis are unbeaten on their European travels this season (W2, D3) and produced a scintillating performance in a 4-1 demolition at Hapoel Jerusalem in domestic action last weekend. It’s a lack of group-stage wins away from home that have consistently hindered their European progress though, as the visitor’s travelling record at this stage of UEFA competition is (W1, D4, L6), having not tasted victory since their group stage debut (2016/17), in a dismal run that also saw them lose all three away fixtures in their previous group stage campaign (UEL: 2020/21).
Players to watch: Joint-top UECL goalscorer this term (G4), Villarreal’s Álex Baena also scored the winner in a 2-1 victory in the reverse fixture, whilst Hapoel have a hitman of their own in Rotem Hatuel, who has struck five times in continental competition this term.
Hot streak: Hapoel’s last seven away goals have all been struck by different scorers.