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Southampton: Saints Look to Continue Winning Ways in Israel

By Aaron Preston

SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 18: Claude Puel, Manager of Southampton looks on during the Premier League match between Southampton and Swansea City at St Mary's Stadium on September 18, 2016 in Southampton, England. (Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images)
SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 18: Claude Puel, Manager of Southampton looks on during the Premier League match between Southampton and Swansea City at St Mary's Stadium on September 18, 2016 in Southampton, England. (Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images) /
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Southampton’s players and staff landed in Israel earlier this week as the club take on Hapoel Be’er Sheba in the Europa League.

It is the furthest Southampton have ever traveled for a competitive fixture, some 5000 kilometers from the friendly confines of St. Mary’s. A win at Turner Stadium today puts the Saints in the driver’s seat in Group K ahead of next month’s key fixture at Internazionale Milan.

Inter play Sparta Prague at the Generali Arena, with both sides in need of a win to keep their hopes alive. The Saints put up a dominant 3-0 performance against Sparta on 15 September, while Hapoel shocked the European world by running over Inter Milan on a comfortable 2-0 scoreline.

The Saints enter the match in excellent late form, with four straight victories across all competitions. Striker Charlie Austin has been crucial to that success, scoring in each of those matches; he currently leads Southampton in all scoring, with five goals.

Austin will have to watch this match from the television, however, as manager Claude Puel left him off the squad for today’s match. Also left home were starters Ryan Bertrand, Steven Davis and captain Jose Fonte. Defending the decision, Puel again emphasized the need to keep players fresh in the campaign ahead.

“Some players stay at home, because with the travel they won’t recover,” Puel told media outside the Turner Stadium. “We have another game against Leicester on Sunday and it’s important to consider this game also.”

Hapoel come into the match with three wins in their last five, most recently a 3-0 win against fellow Israeli club Bnei Yehuda. Nigerian star Anthony Nwakaeme was crucial in that win, netting a brace, and looks to start today as well. Hapoel will be without their 2015/16 player of the season, Elyaniv Barda, who is out with an undisclosed injury.

Be’er Sheba have an impressive undefeated record in 3 European matches at their Turner Stadium, and have won five straight European cup matches overall. Their last defeat came twelve years ago on a forfeit in the 2004 Intertoto Cup.

Southampton, meanwhile, have not won away in a European tournament since 1981/82. That year saw them defeat Irish side Limerick 3-0 in the UEFA Cup.