Hapoel Be'er Sheva Stages Dramatic Comeback to Beat Sabah 2-1 in Champions League Playoff

Hapoel Be'er Sheva secured a crucial 2-1 victory over Azerbaijani club Sabah in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League playoff round held in Bucharest, Romania. Despite falling behind early in the 6th minute to a goal by Timothush Puchash, Be'er Sheva rallied with goals from Javon East in the 43rd minute and Igor Zlatanovic in the 79th minute to complete the comeback. The match marked a historic opportunity for Be'er Sheva, as a win over the two legs would see them qualify for the Champions League group stage for the first time.

The game saw strong support from approximately 1,200 Be'er Sheva fans who traveled to Romania. Coach Ran Kojukh maintained the starting lineup from their previous 2-0 victory over Red Star Belgrade. New signing Younes Melida, recently transferred from Maccabi Tel Aviv, was included in the squad and made an impact off the bench late in the match.

Be'er Sheva showed resilience after conceding early, creating several chances throughout the game. Zlatanovic nearly equalized in the first half before East's fortunate goal leveled the score just before halftime. The second half featured intense pressure from both sides, with Be'er Sheva eventually taking the lead through a well-executed corner kick by Aliel Peretz, headed in by Zlatanovic.

The visitors held on to their lead despite late attempts by Sabah to equalize, including a close miss by Abu Romi in stoppage time. The decisive second leg will take place next week in Azerbaijan, where Be'er Sheva will look to secure their historic qualification. Coach Kojukh and his players are now just 90 minutes away from reaching the Champions League group stage for the first time in the club's history.