Bakhar’s boyshold off Sheriff

FOOTBALL MANAGER Barak Bakhar believes tougher tests lie ahead after Hapoel Beer Sheva edged into the third round qualifying of the Champions League by ending the resistance of Sheriff Tiraspol.

L e a di ng 3 - 2 from the home leg, Hapoel displayed excellent defensive grit combined with steely determination in a goalless second leg in Moldova.

T h e r e ward f o r t h e I s r a e l i champions is a meeting against Olympiacos. Hapoel will travel to Athens for next Tuesday’s first leg and host the Greek champions in the Negev on August 2.

Needing a draw to progress, Hapoel displayed discipline against Tiraspol and came closest to scoring in the first half as Ovidiu Hoban shot just wide after a counter attack.

There was an encouragingly solid debut for Hapoel’s newly-signed Portuguese defender Miguel Vitor, but the Israelis could have done without the injury time dismissal of Hoban for a second yellow card and he will now miss the Olympiacos tie.

Bakhar said: “We came well prepared and played a very tactical game.This was the club’s first appearance in this competition, so to win through a round was history for us.

“The next round is much harder, but I am optimistic. In football anything can happen and I have a team that can fight and so we can dream.”