Hapoel Be'er Sheva Could Face Azerbaijan's Sabah in Champions League Playoff

Hapoel Be'er Sheva still needs to overcome Red Star Belgrade in the third qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League, a challenging hurdle. However, if they succeed, they will face Sabah FC from Azerbaijan in the playoff round. Sabah has already secured its place in this stage after an impressive victory over Denmark's Aarhus GF.

Sabah, the reigning champions of Azerbaijan, is a relatively young club founded in 2017 but has rapidly become a dominant force in Azerbaijani football. Last season, Sabah won the Azerbaijani Premier League for the first time, finishing ahead of Qarabağ FK, which had long dominated the league. This success earned them a historic opportunity to reach the Champions League playoff round for the first time.

The team is known for its aggressive, physical style of play, excelling particularly in set-piece situations due to their players' height and strength. They also capitalize on opponents' turnovers to launch quick counterattacks. Sabah began their Champions League qualifying campaign in the first round by defeating Welsh side TNS 4-1 on aggregate, then continued their strong form with a 3-0 win over Finnish club KuPS in the second round.

In the third qualifying round, Sabah faced Aarhus GF, losing the first leg 2-1 away but overturning the deficit with a commanding 4-0 home victory. Former Maccabi Haifa player Kassandra Sabrina scored one of the goals after coming on as a substitute. Should Hapoel Be'er Sheva advance past Red Star Belgrade, they will meet Sabah in the playoff round, setting up a significant challenge for the Israeli champions.