Sabah Defeats Aarhus 4-0 to Set Up Champions League Playoff Against Hapoel Be'er Sheva

Less than nine years after its founding and just over three months following its historic Azerbaijani league title, Sabah achieved its greatest European success on Tuesday. The Azerbaijani champions overturned a 2-1 first-leg loss in Denmark by winning 4-0 at home in Masazir against Aarhus, securing their place in the Champions League playoff round. Sabah will face Israeli side Hapoel Be'er Sheva, who impressed with a 2-0 victory in Belgrade over Red Star. The first leg will be hosted by Hapoel Be'er Sheva in Romania next Wednesday at 22:00, with the return leg in Azerbaijan six days later at 19:45.

The standout player was German-Rwandan Joy-Lance Mickels, who assisted the first goal in the 59th minute to Serbian Veljko Simić and scored himself in the 78th. Guadeloupean defender Steve Solvet headed in the second goal in the 67th minute, and former Maccabi Haifa player Xander Sabrina, who came on as a substitute, scored his debut goal in the 89th minute. Sabah is coached by 49-year-old Lithuanian Vladas Dambrauskas, who has won multiple titles across Europe before leading Sabah to a domestic double in his first season in Azerbaijan.

Key players include Polish national team defender Tymoteusz Puchacz, acquired for half a million euros from Holstein Kiel, Croatian midfielder Ivan Lepinjica, and Kazakh goalkeeper and captain Stas Pokatilov. Sabrina typically plays as a substitute. This playoff will guarantee a new team in the Champions League group stage this season.