Hapoel Tel Aviv arrive at this third qualifying round tie bolstered by a perfect home record in Europe this season — a 2-0 victory with a clean sheet — and Elyaniv Barda’s 4-2-3-1 system has given them control in midfield. GKS Katowice have been far more open on their travels…
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Sign inHapoel Tel Aviv host GKS Katowice at their Bloomfield Stadium home on 6 August 2026 in the first leg of the UEFA Europa Conference League third qualifying round. Both clubs enter the competition at this stage, with a place in the play-off round at stake.
Neither side has reported major fitness concerns ahead of the tie. GKS Katowice midfielder Kacper Lukasiak was forced off with an injury in the 89th minute of their previous qualifier, which could make him a doubt for this trip to Tel Aviv. Manager Rafał Górak introduced Sebastian Milewski as a late replacement in that match, and Milewski would be the natural candidate to step into the starting eleven if Lukasiak is not risked. Hapoel Tel Aviv have had a clear run into the third qualifying round and are expected to name a full-strength side.
GKS Katowice navigated a difficult second qualifying round tie against Žilina, winning 3-1 at home to overturn a 2-1 away deficit and advance 4-3 on aggregate. It was a contest defined by second-half drama: after falling behind, three goals in 25 minutes turned the tie on its head. Ilya Shkurin scored the decisive header in the 82nd minute, five minutes after Mateusz Wdowiak had levelled the tie on aggregate from a Bartosz Nowak assist, giving Górak’s side momentum that they will carry into Israel.
Hapoel Tel Aviv have a long history in UEFA competition, but recent continental campaigns have been lean. The club reached the Europa League group stage in 2016-17 and famously competed in the Champions League group phase as Israeli champions in 2010-11, yet they have not progressed beyond the qualifying rounds of any European tournament since the 2017-18 season. Playing at a humid Bloomfield Stadium, even if its typical 29,400 capacity is only partially filled, often acts as an equaliser against technically superior opponents.
Early August in Tel Aviv means temperatures that can sit above 30°C at the 21:00 local kick-off, and the side that uses possession most intelligently will have a significant advantage. Hapoel will look to dictate the tempo through midfield, forcing Katowice into long periods of chasing. The Polish visitors demonstrated against Žilina that they carry a threat from wide deliveries—two of their three goals came from headers in the box—so Hapoel’s defensive organisation at crosses will be as important as their work on the ball.
The winner of this tie will face a play-off round opponent for a spot in the league phase of the Europa Conference League. With away goals still a valuable commodity, Katowice would consider a scoring draw or a narrow defeat a usable result to take back to Poland, while Hapoel know that a clean-sheet victory at home would fundamentally reshape the return leg.
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9Hapoel Tel Aviv
Coach: Elyaniv Barda
GKS Katowice
Coach: Rafal Gorak
