Hapoel Be'er Sheva defeated Red Star 2:0 in the third qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League on Monday evening. Igor Zlatanovic put the visitors ahead in the 61st minute before Jonathan East doubled the lead seven minutes later. The result extends Hapoel's recent advantage over their Serbian opponents, who had beaten them 1:0 in their previous meeting just a week ago.
The visitors controlled much of the match despite Red Star's 55 per cent possession. Hapoel registered six shots on target with 67 per cent accuracy, while the hosts managed only two attempts on goal with 18 per cent success. Both sides won three corners each and created similar numbers of attacks, though Hapoel were more clinical when it mattered.
Red Star were reduced to 10 men in the 57th minute when D. Stankovic received a red card. The dismissal came before Zlatanovic's opening goal and forced the hosts to chase the game for the remainder of the contest. Hapoel held their shape well and punished Red Star's defensive vulnerability on the counter-attack.
Several substitutions altered the tempo in the second half. Red Star brought on J. Enem and T. Elsnik at the interval, while Hapoel introduced N. Yehoshua and G. Mizrahi in the 66th minute. Zlatanovic and East were both withdrawn in stoppage time, with Hapoel also seeing M. Abu Fani sent off in the 90th minute plus two.
Red Star must now regroup ahead of the next stage of qualification. The loss follows a mixed run of form, including a 2:0 victory over Novi Pazar on Thursday and a 5:0 win against Larnaca in late July. Hapoel, meanwhile, remain confident after their second consecutive victory over their Serbian rivals this season.