After upset win, Hapoel Beersheba within striking distance of Champions League

In surprise victory against Greece’s Olympiacos, Israel’s champion qualifies for prestigious UEFA tournament’s playoffs

Israel’s Hapoel Beersheba soccer club reached the playoff round of the UEFA Champions League, after beating the Greek team Olympiacos FC 1-0 in a major upset at the city’s Turner Stadium Wednesday night.

After a scoreless first half, a goal by Hapoel defender Shir Tzedek in the 79th minute secured his team a shot for a place in Europe’s most prestigious club tournament for the first time in Hapoel’s 67-year history.

Olympiacos, which has reached the Champions League group stage in 17 out of the last 19 seasons, was heavily favored to win the game against the Israeli champions.

Hapoel tied last week’s first leg in Greece 0-0.

On Friday Hapoel will find out which team it will face in the August 16 and 17 playoffs to reach the Group Stage, but even if it loses, its performance so far has already guaranteed it a place in UEFA’s second-tier Europa League tournament.

If Hapoel advances to the group stage, it could find itself tackling some of Europe’s soccer giants, such as Barcelona, Juventus, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Arsenal, and Real Madrid.

If it beats its next opponent, Hapoel will be the fourth Israeli team to qualify for the group stage, after Maccabi Haifa FC, Maccabi Tel Aviv FC and Hapoel Tel Aviv FC.

Earlier this year, Beersheba won the national championship for the first time in 40 years, cementing the team’s decade-long climb out of the second tier of Israeli soccer to the rarefied heights occupied almost exclusively over the decades by teams from Jerusalem, Haifa and Tel Aviv.