Hapoel Be'er Sheva Takes Early Lead Against Sabah in Crucial Baku Match

Hapoel Be'er Sheva secured a 1-0 lead over Sabah in an important match held Tuesday in Baku, moving closer to the cup semifinals. The breakthrough came after a major error by Sabah's goalkeeper, Fokatilov, who misdirected a pass directly to Be'er Sheva's Niv Yehoshua. Yehoshua advanced, collided with the keeper, and teammate Igor Zlatanovic capitalized by scoring the decisive goal. The goal was confirmed after earlier disallowed attempts, including a borderline offside on a Zlatanovic goal assisted by Zahy Ahmad.

Be'er Sheva, coached by Ran Kozuch, started aggressively with the same starting lineup as their previous game. Goalkeeper Ofir Marciano was supported by defenders Guy Mizrahi, Itay Rotman, Miguel Vitor, and Pedro Amador. The midfield featured Lucas Ventura, Niv Yehoshua, and Eliel Peretz, while the attack included Javon East, Zahy Ahmad, and Igor Zlatanovic. Approximately 1,000 Be'er Sheva fans traveled to Baku to support the team.

Sabah threatened early, notably in the eighth minute when Kahim Paris hit the post in a one-on-one with Marciano, but failed to score on the rebound. Despite Sabah's efforts, Be'er Sheva maintained control and capitalized on the goalkeeper's mistake to take the lead. Before kickoff, captain Miguel Vitor expressed hope to "close the circle" and achieve their dream of reaching the Champions League, emphasizing the desire to maintain their style of play.

The victory positions Hapoel Be'er Sheva strongly on their path to potentially winning the double this season, as they continue their campaign in both domestic and continental competitions.