Hapoel Be'er Sheva host OFI in the Europa League on Thursday, November 5, with kick-off scheduled for 20:00 local time at Stadionul Valentin Stănescu in Bucureşti. The home side are seeking their first win of the competition, while OFI arrive with three wins from five Europa League matches. Their early European attacking figures suggest chances could be limited, but both teams’ recent results across all competitions offer a different perspective on the likely goal count. Hapoel have scored 2.6 goals per match over their last five fixtures, while OFI have averaged 1.2. How those broader trends translate to this Europa League meeting is the central question in the Hapoel Be'er Sheva vs OFI match preview.

Hapoel Be'er Sheva's Recent Form and Key Stats

Hapoel Be'er Sheva have one point from three Europa League matches, with one draw and two defeats leaving them 30th in the standings. Their latest outing in the competition was a 4-0 loss to Union Saint-Gilloise. Across those three European games, Hapoel have averaged just 0.3 goals scored and 2.0 conceded per match. Their expected-goals figure of 2.51 over the same period was the third-lowest in the competition, while their expected goals against stood at 5.67.

Their results across all competitions have been more productive. Hapoel beat Maccabi Petah Tikva 5-2 on November 1 and have won three of their last five matches, losing the other two. During that five-game stretch, they have averaged 2.6 goals scored and 2.2 conceded. Those figures point to considerably more scoring activity than their Europa League averages alone suggest, although the contrast makes their attacking output in this fixture difficult to judge.

There is a similar split in their home scoring record. No goals were scored in Hapoel's last two Europa League home matches, yet Hapoel themselves have scored at least once in 19 of their last 20 home games across competitions. They have also found the net in 37 of their last 40 matches overall. Hapoel are the designated home team for this fixture, but their home matches in the competition are being played in Romania because of security regulations.

OFI's Recent Form and Key Stats

OFI are 26th in the Europa League standings. Their season record in the competition is three wins and two defeats, with averages of 1.6 goals scored and 0.8 conceded per game. They began their European campaign by beating Hoffenheim 2-0, then lost 2-1 to Rennes and 2-0 to Bayer Leverkusen. Those opening three fixtures produced an expected-goals total of just 1.71 for OFI, the lowest figure in the competition over that period, alongside an expected goals against total of 6.60.

OFI's latest result was a 1-0 win over Panaitolikos on November 1. They have won two and lost three of their last five matches in all competitions, averaging 1.2 goals scored and 1.6 conceded. Their away results have been uneven: OFI have lost four of their last five away games across competitions and failed to score in three of them. That record raises a clear question about whether they can turn their Europa League scoring average into another productive performance away from home.

Later goals have been common in OFI's away fixtures, even if their own scoring record on those trips has varied. At least one goal was scored in the second half of 18 of their last 20 away matches. This is a statistic about the total goals in those games, not a claim that OFI scored after the break each time.

Hapoel Be'er Sheva vs OFI Match Analysis

The evidence for this Europa League clash is mixed. Hapoel's first three European matches brought little attacking return, and OFI's expected-goals total across their opening three games was lower still. Hapoel's two most recent Europa League home fixtures were goalless, while OFI have drawn a blank in three of their last five away matches in all competitions. Those details leave room for a match in which scoring chances are hard to convert.

Recent results also provide a case for goals. Hapoel's last five matches have featured averages of 2.6 goals scored and 2.2 conceded by the team. OFI's corresponding figures are 1.2 scored and 1.6 conceded. The supplied over/under assessment puts Over 2.5 goals at 61%. Neither side has been wholly reliable at keeping opponents out across its recent five-game run, even though OFI's Europa League defensive average of 0.8 goals conceded is notably lower.

For Hapoel, the immediate challenge is to carry their broader scoring form into a competition where they have yet to win. OFI, meanwhile, can point to three Europa League victories but must contend with a run of four defeats in their last five away games across all competitions. The low early expected-goals figures counsel caution, yet the recent goals scored and conceded by both sides make a higher-scoring outcome a credible conclusion to the match analysis.

Hapoel Be'er Sheva vs OFI prediction from BetMines: Over 2.5 goals with 61% probability.