Half-time: Sabah - Hapoel Be'er Sheva 1:1
Igor Zlatanovic took advantage of a defensive error and scored (10th minute), but the Azeris equalized (38th minute) after confusion in the Be'er Sheva defense, with Christian Nwachukwu scoring into an empty net. Currently, Be'er Sheva leads 3-2 on aggregate. About 30,000 fans are supporting the hosts, who are dreaming of a comeback.
The moment of truth for Hapoel Be'er Sheva has arrived. Ran Kozuch's team is currently visiting Sabah in Baku, where even a draw will be enough to reach the Champions League for the first time in their history and become the first Israeli representative to reach the continent's top competition since the format changed from groups to a league. The Israeli champion won 1-2 against the Azeris in the first leg. Despite conceding just six minutes into the match, Be'er Sheva did not give up and managed to achieve a comeback thanks to goals from Javon East and Igor Zlatanovic. Now, the team from the Negev capital only needs to avoid defeat to make history.
Be'er Sheva hopes to continue receiving strong performances from their two strikers, who scored in the previous match and also netted both goals in the away match in Belgrade in the previous stage. Kozuch will also want to see the first leg's standout player, Eliel Peretz, maintain his form. The match is being held at the Tofiq Bahramov Stadium in Baku, as Sabah's home stadium in Masazir does not meet UEFA requirements. The stadium is named after the greatest football referee in Azerbaijan's history, known for being the linesman who approved the controversial "Wembley goal" in the 1966 World Cup final.
About 30,000 fans are supporting the home team, which won the Azerbaijani championship for the first time last season and is dreaming of its first Champions League appearance. Sabah has good memories of their only previous meeting with an Israeli team: two years ago, they eliminated Maccabi Haifa in the Conference League qualifiers after a penalty shootout. Sabah's current squad includes former Haifa player Xander Severina, who scored in their 4-0 win over Aarhus in the previous stage. The team's stars are Joy-Lance Mickels, the league's top scorer, and Veljko Simic, who has scored six goals in seven qualifying matches.
Match Progress:
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1st minute: First threat to the goal. Veljko Simic headed over the bar from a corner.
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3rd minute: Igor Zlatanovic scored after a counterattack, but the goal was disallowed by VAR due to an offside by Zahi Ahmed.
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7th minute: Dangerous attack by Sabah. Kahim Parrys hit the left post in a one-on-one, and the rebound was blocked.
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10th minute: Goal! Niv Yehoshua capitalized on a defensive error, and Igor Zlatanovic tapped in the rebound to make it 0-1.
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21st minute: First yellow card. Parrys was booked for simulation in the box.
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22nd minute: Zlatanovic reached another one-on-one, but Stas Popovic saved his shot.
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23rd minute: First shot on target for Sabah — a powerful volley saved by Ofir Marciano.
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35th minute: First substitution — injured Zlatanovic replaced by Mohammad Abu-Rumi; Javon East moved to central striker.
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38th minute: Goal! Sabah equalized (1-1). After a scramble in the box, the ball fell to Christian Nwachukwu, who scored into a half-empty net.
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43rd minute: Eliel Peretz shot powerfully over the bar from outside the box.
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45th minute: Lucas Ventura shot low, but Popovic caught the ball.
Lineups:
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Sabah: Stas Popovic, Akeem Zedadka, Steven Solvet, Rahman Dashdamirov, Tymoteusz Puchacz, Omarali Rakhmonaliev, Ivan Lepinjica, Veljko Simic, Christian Nwachukwu, Kahim Parrys, Slayde Mickels.
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Hapoel Be'er Sheva: Ofir Marciano, Miguel Vitor, Itay Rotman, Guy Mizrahi, Pedro Amador, Lucas Ventura, Niv Yehoshua, Eliel Peretz, Javon East, Zahi Ahmed, Igor Zlatanovic.
