Belgians can extend their unbeaten run: Union Saint-Gilloise vs Hapoel Be'er Sheva prediction
The third-round league-phase clash between Union Saint-Gilloise and Hapoel Be'er Sheva will take place on October 22, 2026, at the neutral Merkur Spiel-Arena in Düsseldorf. The Belgians have collected four points from their opening two matches and remain unbeaten, while the Israeli club have just one point. Although the nominal hosts will not have their usual home advantage, David Hubert's side are still clear favorites given their current form.
Union Saint-Gilloise: ten matches without defeat
The Belgian club head into the encounter in excellent shape. In the Europa League opener, Union comfortably defeated Viktoria Plzeň 3-0 away from home before drawing 1-1 with Real Sociedad. Across all competitions, the team have gone ten matches without a defeat, claiming seven wins and three draws during that run.
Their latest result was a 3-0 victory over Nehlen in the Belgian Cup, with all three goals coming after the break. Despite playing at a neutral venue, their record as the nominal home side is impressive: Union have lost just one of their last 11 Europa League group- or league-phase matches and have not been beaten in their last 22 games as the home team.
Hapoel Be'er Sheva: domestic success does not carry over to Europe
Ran Kozukh's side began the league phase with a goalless draw against Dinamo Zagreb before losing 2-1 to AZ. As a result, the Israeli club have only one point after two rounds, although their domestic campaign looks considerably brighter. Ahead of this match, Hapoel defeated Hapoel Jerusalem 2-1 to extend their winning streak in domestic competitions to four matches.
The visitors' main problem is their away record in the Europa League. Since beating Inter Milan in 2016, the team have not won a single away match in the competition, recording two draws and eight defeats. Their last five Europa League away games have all ended in defeat, while Hapoel are also still without a victory against Belgian clubs.
Match facts and head-to-head record
- Union are unbeaten in ten consecutive competitive matches.
- Hapoel have not won away from home in the Europa League since 2016.
- The Israeli club have failed to win either of their opening two league-phase matches.
The nominal hosts must capitalize on the difference in form: Union Saint-Gilloise vs Hapoel Be'er Sheva prediction
The neutral venue slightly diminishes Union's advantage, but the Belgians still look significantly stronger on current form. The team control matches confidently, rarely lose the battle for initiative and have already shown in Europe that they can perform effectively both at home and away.
Hapoel can make the game competitive through discipline and strong domestic momentum, but their European away record remains far too weak. If the Belgians perform at their usual level, they should control the match and secure a relatively comfortable victory.
