GKS Katowice - Hapoel Tel Aviv live - Football

GKS Katowice host Hapoel Tel Aviv in the second leg of the UEFA Conference League Third Qualifying Round on 12 August 2026 at 17:00 (BST) in Katowice, with the winner advancing to face Atalanta in the play-offs. The Polish side must overcome a 2-0 first-leg deficit - a steep task against an Israeli club that has scored 4 goals without reply across its two qualifying ties so far. With their first-ever meeting producing a 2-0 Hapoel victory just a week ago, this return leg represents GKS's only lifeline in their first European campaign in 23 years.

Match Info: GKS Katowice vs Hapoel Tel Aviv

The second leg of the UEFA Conference League Third Qualifying Round takes place on 12 August 2026, kicking off at 17:00 (BST) in Katowice, Poland, with GKS Katowice needing at least a three-goal winning margin to advance outright and avoid extra time or penalties.

Where to Watch GKS Katowice vs Hapoel Tel Aviv?

In Poland, the match is broadcast live on TVP Sport, which holds the free-to-air rights to the UEFA Conference League qualifying rounds - making it available to the widest possible Polish audience on television.

Those preferring to stream online can catch the action via sport.tvp.pl and the TVP Sport App, both offering live coverage across desktop and mobile devices at no additional cost for viewers in Poland.

Fans outside Poland should check their local UEFA Conference League broadcast partners, as rights vary by territory across Europe and beyond.

Match between GKS Katowice and Hapoel Tel Aviv - Preview

GKS Katowice face a mountain to climb at home: to overturn the 2-0 aggregate deficit, they must win by at least three goals without reply, or by two and then survive extra time - a task few clubs manage after such a first-leg result.

Yet history within this very qualifying campaign offers a thread of hope. The Katowice side lost the first leg 1-2 away at Žilina in the Second Qualifying Round, then produced a composed 3-1 home victory to advance 4-3 on aggregate - showing they can rise to the occasion on their own pitch. The atmosphere in Katowice, returning to European football for the first time since autumn 2003, could prove a factor.

Hapoel Tel Aviv, for their part, arrive with the momentum and the cushion of a two-goal lead. The Israeli club eliminated Ludogorets Razgrad 4-2 on aggregate in the Second Qualifying Round and then dominated the first leg against GKS, scoring through Stav Torial in the 5th minute and Roee Alkokin in the 18th. For Hapoel, progress to a play-off against Atalanta - the Italian club that dropped down from the Champions League - would represent a landmark moment in their European history.

Head-to-Head: GKS Katowice vs Hapoel Tel Aviv

These two clubs had never crossed paths before this qualifying tie, making the entire two-legged encounter the full extent of their shared history - with the first chapter firmly in Hapoel's favour.

Complete head-to-head record between GKS Katowice and Hapoel Tel Aviv:

• 06.08.2026 - UEFA Conference League, Third Qualifying Round (1st leg) - Hapoel Tel Aviv 2:0 GKS Katowice

GKS Katowice - Recent Form

GKS Katowice arrive at this second leg having won 2 and lost 3 of their past 5 matches across all competitions, with their most recent European outing ending in a 0-2 defeat in Tel Aviv.

The picture is mixed but not without encouragement. In the Ekstraklasa, they beat Radomiak Radom 3-1 at home on 2 August, demonstrating their attacking quality on home soil, though a 1-2 defeat away at Wisła Kraków on 26 July showed vulnerability on the road. In their Conference League campaign against Žilina, GKS lost the first leg 1-2 in Slovakia on 23 July before turning the tie around with a 3-1 home win on 30 July - exactly the kind of reversal they now need to repeat at even greater scale.

The Katowice faithful will back their team knowing the club's European return is now on the line. A result that sends them through would rank among the most celebrated evenings in the club's recent history.

Hapoel Tel Aviv - Recent Form

Hapoel Tel Aviv enter this second leg unbeaten in their 3 UEFA Conference League qualifying matches this season, having scored 6 goals and conceded only 2 across those three games.

Their qualifying run began impressively: a 2-0 home win over Ludogorets Razgrad on 24 July was followed by a 2-2 draw in Bulgaria on 30 July - enough to advance 4-2 on aggregate. The Israeli side then produced their most disciplined display yet in the first leg against GKS on 6 August, with goals from Stav Torial and Roee Alkokin in the opening 18 minutes effectively settling the tie before half-time. Crucially, Emmanuel Boateng has been a key presence in attack throughout the campaign.

Facts and Statistics

GKS Katowice and Hapoel Tel Aviv are writing the very first pages of their shared history in these qualifying rounds, with the Polish club making its return to European football after a 23-year absence. The stakes extend beyond this tie - the winner earns the right to face Atalanta in the Conference League play-offs.

• GKS Katowice last competed in European football in autumn 2003 - a gap of 23 years before their 2026 return.
• Hapoel Tel Aviv beat Ludogorets Razgrad 4-2 on aggregate in the Second Qualifying Round, conceding only 2 goals across both legs.
• GKS Katowice already demonstrated comeback ability in this campaign, overturning a 1-2 first-leg defeat against Žilina with a 3-1 home win.
• The winner of this tie will face Atalanta - who dropped from the UEFA Champions League - in the Conference League play-offs.
• Hapoel Tel Aviv finished 4th in the Israeli Premier League 2025/26 to earn their Conference League qualifying berth this season.