Hapoel Be'er Sheva Celebrates Win Over Sabah Ahead of Crucial Champions League Playoff Return Leg

Hapoel Be'er Sheva secured a 2-1 victory against Azerbaijani club Sabah in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League playoff round, held recently. Despite the win, the club emphasized that the job is only half done, with the decisive second leg scheduled for Tuesday in Baku. The team holds a slim one-goal advantage, similar to their previous third qualifying round tie against Red Star Belgrade, and Sabah has previously overturned a similar deficit against Danish champions Aarhus.

During the match, Be'er Sheva fell behind early but recovered thanks to goals from their foreign strikers, Jebon East and Igor Zlatanovic, who both scored crucial goals as they did in the recent win in Belgrade. Midfielder Eliel Peretz also stood out, stepping up as a key playmaker after the departure of Kings Kangwa earlier this summer. Goalkeeper Ofir Marciano continued his strong form, making important saves to preserve the lead. Defender Itay Rotman received his third yellow card of the qualifiers but will be eligible to play in the next match due to UEFA's card reset rule upon reaching the playoff stage.

New signing Younes Malada, who joined from Maccabi Tel Aviv earlier this week, appeared as a substitute and nearly contributed to a third goal. Coach Ran Kozuch expressed cautious optimism, praising the players' character and tactical understanding while acknowledging the challenge ahead. Zlatanovic called the winning goal the most important of his career and expressed his dream of reaching the Champions League group stage, now just 90 minutes away.

Club director Guy Mizrahi described the victory as one of their most significant but stressed the need to complete the task in Baku. Marciano highlighted the team's progress over his four years at the club and their commitment to representing the club, fans, and Israel. Although only about 1,000 fans attended the home leg in Bucharest, where the club relocated its home matches from Hungary, this was the highest turnout in recent years. The team will return to Israel before flying to Baku early Sunday morning, where only a few hundred supporters are expected to accompany them.

Summary: Hapoel Be'er Sheva won 2-1 against Sabah in the first leg of the Champions League playoff, with a decisive return leg set for Tuesday in Baku. Despite the victory, the club remains cautious, aiming to secure qualification to the group stage. Key players East and Zlatanovic scored, and the team will travel back to Israel before heading to Azerbaijan for the second match.