JERUSALEM, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- Israeli club Hapoel Beer Sheva reached the UEFA Conference League group stage with a 4-3 home win in penalties against Romania's Universitatea Craiova after a 1-1 draw in 120 minutes on Thursday evening.
Goalkeeper Omri Glazer was Beer Sheva's hero with two saves in the shootout from penalties taken by Andrei Ivan and Nicusor Bancu.
A week after a 1-1 draw in the first-leg match in Romania, 14,700 fans at Toto Turner Stadium in the southern city of Beer Sheva saw a lukewarm 90 minutes with very few dangerous chances.
Beer Sheva's center-back Eitan Tibi almost prevented the extra time, but his shot in the last seconds of regular time missed the target by centimeters.
Craiova scored first in the 105th minute with a curved free kick by Croatian midfielder Ante Roguljic from the right side.
Beer Sheva equalized immediately, seconds before the end of the first part of extra time, with Tomer Hamed's header, after a free kick by the Russian substitute Shapi Suleymanov.
The penalty shootout win secured Beer Sheva a spot in the group stage draw, which will take place on Friday in Istanbul. ■
