Sabah's Grass Condition Could Impact Clash Against Hapoel Be'er Sheva in Champions League Playoff

Hapoel Be'er Sheva will face Sabah on Tuesday at 19:45 (5SPORT) in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League playoff round. Be'er Sheva holds a 2-1 advantage from the first leg at home and aims to reach the group stage for the first time in club history. The match will take place at the Tofig Bahramov Stadium in Baku, where Sabah will benefit from home support with around 15,000 fans expected.

Karim Diniyev, Sabah's former captain, commented on the first leg, noting that Sabah did not fully display their usual fast and dominant style. He highlighted issues with ball possession, decision-making in attack, and difficulty coping with Be'er Sheva's pressure. Diniyev praised Be'er Sheva as a disciplined and physical team that capitalized on Sabah's mistakes and disrupted their build-up play.

Despite the first-leg loss, Diniyev believes Sabah still has a good chance to advance, especially with the home advantage in Baku. He also addressed concerns about the pitch condition at Tofig Bahramov Stadium, explaining that Sabah's technical and quick style requires a quality field. Poor grass conditions could cause unpredictable ball movement and affect passing, but he stressed that Sabah must adapt professionally and not use the pitch as an excuse. The stadium atmosphere could also provide extra motivation for the home side.

The second leg promises a challenging encounter as Sabah seeks to overturn the deficit and Be'er Sheva aims to secure historic qualification to the Champions League group stage.