Sabah crush Hapoel Beer-Sheva 5:2 in Champions League play-off
Sabah booked their place in the next round of the UEFA Champions League play-offs with a comprehensive 5:2 victory over Hapoel Beer-Sheva at the Tofig Bahramov Republican Stadium on Monday. The hosts dominated from the outset, though the match extended into extra time after the visitors fought back, and a second red card for Djibril Diop in the 100th minute finally closed the contest. Igor Zlatanovic opened the scoring for Hapoel after a VAR review overturned an offside call, but Sabah responded quickly through Christian Nwachukwu and Umarali Rakhmonaliyev to control the tempo. By then the visitors were playing a man down, and Sabah were on a good run of attacking play that the Israeli side simply could not contain.
The opening exchanges were chaotic, with Zlatanovic's goal at minute three first cancelled for offside before being confirmed moments later. Sabah took the lead at minute ten through Zlatanovic, and Nwachukwu doubled their advantage at 38 minutes after a period of sustained pressure. Hapoel pulled one back through Gadi Mizrahi in the 61st minute, but Rakhmonaliyev restored the two-goal cushion shortly after. Sabah switched to a back three at the break and played the second half a man up after Diop's first booking made life awkward for the visitors.
The match stretched into extra time after the final whistle, and Sabah made it four at minute 90 through Tural Mutallimov, who added another in stoppage time. Mbina scored for Hapoel in the 101st minute, but Mickels closed the scoring at 115 minutes to seal the tie. The visitors lost Eliel Peretz to a red card at minute 117, and Diop's sending-off at 100 minutes had already left them exposed. Sabah now need the points badly in their domestic campaign, but this result will make life awkward for Hapoel in the league standings.
Sabah dominated the statistics, holding 54 per cent possession and registering 31 shots on target compared to Hapoel's five. They created nine big chances while the visitors managed only one, and their expected goals total of 4.23 reflected the superiority in the final third. Hapoel's goalkeeper made eight saves to keep the scoreline respectable, but the visitors were overrun in midfield and could not sustain their attacks. The shots accuracy figures tell the story — Sabah scored from 42 per cent of their attempts on target, while Hapoel managed 40 per cent.
The result sends Sabah through to the next stage of the Champions League play-offs after a convincing display. Hapoel Beer-Sheva will now focus on their domestic campaign, having lost their home fixture against a side they beat 2:1 earlier in the month. The goal difference of five goals reflects the gulf in quality that emerged after the first half, and the red cards proved decisive. Sabah have shown they can compete at this level and will be confident heading into the return leg.
