Hapoel Beer Sheva 2-1 Sabah FA: UEFA Champions League Play-offs

Hapoel Beer Sheva 2-1 Sabah FA at Rapid-Giulesti Stadium, Bucharest, gives the Israelis a narrow but deserved first-leg advantage in this UEFA Champions League Play-offs tie. Having come from behind and then controlled the game territorially, Ran Kozuch’s side now travel to the return leg with the lead and the psychological edge, while Sabah FA must overturn a deficit after letting an early away goal advantage slip.

Match Report

The game opened at high tempo and Sabah FA struck first. On 6', Sabah FA goal — Veljko Simić (assisted by Tymoteusz Puchacz). The visitors exploited space down the left, Puchacz delivering and Simić finishing to punish Hapoel Beer Sheva’s slow defensive start.

Hapoel Beer Sheva gradually imposed themselves with longer spells of possession and pressure in the final third, and they were rewarded just before the interval. On 43', Hapoel Beer Sheva goal — Javon East (unassisted). East capitalised with a solo effort, restoring parity at a crucial psychological moment before half-time.

The second half began with Sabah FA looking for more verticality, and the first change came from Valdas Dambrauskas. On 56', O. Mbina replaced X. Severina (Sabah FA), adding fresh legs in the attacking band.

Ran Kozuch responded by refreshing his own front line. On 66', A. C. Ganah replaced Z. Ahmed (Hapoel Beer Sheva), injecting additional energy into the forward line. Five minutes later, he made a second attacking adjustment: on 71', M. Abu Rumi replaced J. East (Hapoel Beer Sheva), as the scorer of the first home goal made way after a hard-working shift.

Sabah FA then altered their creative axis. On 74', C. Nwachukwu replaced A. Isayev (Sabah FA), a like-for-like attacking midfield change aimed at finding more transitions against a dominant home possession structure.

The match grew more physical as Hapoel Beer Sheva pushed for a winner. On 76', Miguel Vítor (Hapoel Beer Sheva) — yellow card (Tripping), punished for a late intervention as Sabah tried to break. Just a minute later, on 77', I. Rotman (Hapoel Beer Sheva) — yellow card (Roughing), reflecting the home side’s increasing aggression in duels to prevent counters.

The decisive moment arrived in the final quarter of an hour. On 79', Hapoel Beer Sheva goal — Igor Zlatanović (assisted by Eliel Peretz). Peretz found a pocket between the lines and slipped a telling pass into Zlatanović, whose composed finish completed the turnaround and made it 2-1 to the hosts.

Hapoel Beer Sheva then sought to manage the closing stages. On 84', A. C. Ganah (Hapoel Beer Sheva) — yellow card (Foul), booked for a defensive challenge as Sabah tried to build late pressure. Immediately after, Kozuch turned to his bench again: on 85', Y. Malede replaced I. Zlatanović (Hapoel Beer Sheva), withdrawing the match-winner to add fresh legs up front. In the same minute, H. Kanaan replaced N. Yehoshua (Hapoel Beer Sheva), a midfield change to reinforce control and game management.

Sabah FA made one last defensive adjustment as they chased an equaliser. On 89', E. A. Santos Junior replaced S. Solvet (Sabah FA), a back-line change that also allowed for a slight reshuffle as they pushed numbers forward. Hapoel Beer Sheva, however, saw out the remaining minutes without conceding a clear chance, securing the 2-1 victory.

Fixture Statistics & Tactical Audit

• xG: Hapoel Beer Sheva — not specified vs Sabah FA — not specified
• Possession: Hapoel Beer Sheva 67% vs 33% Sabah FA
• Shots on Target: Hapoel Beer Sheva 7 vs 5 Sabah FA
• Goalkeeper Saves: Hapoel Beer Sheva 4 vs 4 Sabah FA
• Blocked Shots: Hapoel Beer Sheva 5 vs 0 Sabah FA

The statistical profile underlines how Hapoel Beer Sheva were dominant (67% possession, 18 total shots to 8) in territorial and shot volume terms, especially after falling behind early. Their 7 shots on target to Sabah FA’s 5 reflect a steady stream of pressure rather than sheer attacking chaos, while 5 blocked shots show Sabah’s back line often defending deep and in numbers. With both goalkeepers making 4 saves, the 2-1 scoreline broadly matches the balance of chances: Hapoel Beer Sheva created more sustained danger and forced Sabah to defend their box for long stretches, but the visitors remained intermittently threatening on the counter, justifying their early goal and keeping the tie competitive.

Standings Update & Seasonal Impact

With no league standings data available, the impact is framed entirely in Champions League Play-offs terms. Hapoel Beer Sheva’s comeback win gives them a narrow aggregate lead to take into the second leg, shifting the tactical pressure onto Sabah FA, who must now be more expansive at home. Sabah’s away goal keeps them very much alive in the tie, but they have surrendered the initial initiative and will need to convert home advantage into a win to progress.

Lineups & Personnel

Hapoel Beer Sheva Starting XI

• GK: Ofir Marciano
• DF: Guy Mizrahi, Miguel Vítor, Itay Rotman, Pedro Amador
• MF: Niv Yehoshua, Lucas Ventura, Eliel Peretz
• FW: Javon East, Igor Zlatanović, Zahi Ahmed

Sabah FA Starting XI

• GK: Stas Pokatilov
• DF: Akim Zedadka, Steve Solvet, Rahman Dashdamirov, Tymoteusz Puchacz
• MF: Umarali Rakhmonaliev, Ivan Lepinjica, Xander Severina, Aleksey Isayev, Veljko Simić
• FW: Joy Lance Mickels

Post-Match Verdict

Hapoel Beer Sheva’s win was built on a controlled, possession-heavy display that became increasingly clinical (7 shots on target from 18 attempts) as the match wore on. After an early defensive lapse for Simić’s opener, they tightened their structure, pushed their full-backs higher and relied on Peretz between the lines to connect play, culminating in Zlatanović’s well-worked winner. Their midfield’s ability to recycle possession (659 passes at 90% accuracy) allowed them to suffocate Sabah FA for long spells and keep the game largely in the visitors’ half.

Sabah FA were resilient and intermittently dangerous, particularly in transition, but ultimately vulnerable (conceding 18 shots and 16 efforts inside the box) once forced into a low block. Their early goal and 5 shots on target show they posed a genuine threat when they broke the press, yet they struggled to sustain attacks with only 33% possession and 305 passes at 78% accuracy. For the second leg, they must find a better balance between compactness and attacking ambition, while Hapoel Beer Sheva will feel this was a tactically sound platform from which to finish the job.