Hapoel Beer Sheva vs Sabah FA: UEFA Champions League Play-offs Match Report

Hapoel Beer Sheva 2-1 Sabah FA at Rapid-Giulesti Stadium keeps the Israeli side in control of their UEFA Champions League Play-offs tie, turning an early deficit into a composed, possession-heavy win. With no league standings context available, the significance here is strictly continental: Beer Sheva carry both a lead and the psychological edge into the second leg, while Sabah must now chase the tie after letting a strong start slip.

Match Report

The game opened at high tempo and Sabah FA struck first. In the 6th minute Sabah FA goal — Veljko Simić (assisted by Tymoteusz Puchacz) — arrived when Puchacz advanced down the left and delivered low into the box, Simić timing his run to finish and give the visitors a 0-1 advantage.

Hapoel Beer Sheva gradually imposed their passing game and were rewarded just before the interval. In the 43rd minute Hapoel Beer Sheva goal — Javon East (unassisted) — came from a direct, individual action, East exploiting space between the lines, driving at the defence and finishing clinically to level the tie at 1-1 by half-time.

After the break, the first adjustment came from Sabah. In the 56th minute O. Mbina replaced X. Severina (Sabah FA), a like-for-like attacking change aimed at refreshing the pressing line and offering more vertical threat in transition.

Beer Sheva answered with attacking changes of their own. In the 66th minute A. C. Ganah replaced Zahi Ahmed (Hapoel Beer Sheva), adding fresh legs in the front line to attack a tiring Sabah back four. Five minutes later, in the 71st minute, M. Abu Rumi replaced Javon East (Hapoel Beer Sheva), maintaining intensity up front after East’s heavy first-half workload.

Sabah continued to tweak their attacking structure. In the 74th minute C. Nwachukwu replaced A. Isayev (Sabah FA), shifting the creative responsibility and looking for more direct running from the second line.

The increased tempo brought more duels and Beer Sheva’s defenders went into the book in quick succession. In the 76th minute Miguel Vítor (Hapoel Beer Sheva) — yellow card (Tripping) — was cautioned for halting a Sabah break. Just a minute later, in the 77th minute I. Rotman (Hapoel Beer Sheva) — yellow card (Roughing) — followed him after a robust challenge as Sabah tried to counter again.

The decisive moment arrived as Beer Sheva converted their territorial dominance. In the 79th minute Hapoel Beer Sheva goal — Igor Zlatanović (assisted by Eliel Peretz) — saw Peretz find a pocket between Sabah’s lines and slide a precise pass into Zlatanović, who finished from close range to make it 2-1 to the hosts.

Beer Sheva then looked to manage the lead, but not without further disciplinary risk. In the 84th minute A. C. Ganah (Hapoel Beer Sheva) — yellow card (Foul) — was booked for a late challenge, reflecting the intensity with which Beer Sheva protected their advantage.

Ran Kozuch moved to close the game with a double change. In the 85th minute Y. Malede replaced Igor Zlatanović (Hapoel Beer Sheva), withdrawing the match-winner to add fresh energy in the final third, and H. Kanaan replaced N. Yehoshua (Hapoel Beer Sheva), reinforcing midfield control for the closing minutes.

Sabah’s final throw of the dice came in the 89th minute when E. A. Santos Junior replaced S. Solvet (Sabah FA), a defensive substitution that slightly reshaped their back line but was too late to alter the 2-1 scoreline.

Fixture Statistics & Tactical Audit

• xG: not available vs not available
• Possession: 67% vs 33%
• Shots on Target: 7 vs 5
• Goalkeeper Saves: 4 vs 7
• Blocked Shots: 5 vs 0

Beer Sheva’s control was clear: they were dominant in possession (67% vs 33%) and volume of attempts (18 total shots vs 8), repeatedly pinning Sabah into their own half. Their higher number of shots on target (7 vs 5) and blocked efforts (5 vs 0) underline how often they worked shooting positions around the Sabah box. At the same time, the saves tally (Beer Sheva 4 vs Sabah 7) shows that both goalkeepers were regularly involved, with Sabah’s Stas Pokatilov busier as the hosts turned pressure into chances. Without explicit xG figures, the shot profile and territorial advantage suggest the 2-1 scoreline was broadly fair: Beer Sheva created more and better sustained pressure, while Sabah’s threat came in shorter, more sporadic bursts, especially early on and in transition.

Standings Update & Seasonal Impact

With no league standings data provided for either Hapoel Beer Sheva or Sabah FA, the impact of this 2-1 result is framed entirely within the UEFA Champions League Play-offs context. Beer Sheva carry a narrow but deserved lead into the return leg, having shown they can both chase a deficit and manage a tight advantage. Sabah, having surrendered an early lead, face the second leg needing at least a one-goal win to stay alive, and must find a way to increase their share of possession and shots while maintaining the transition threat that produced their opener.

Lineups & Personnel

Hapoel Beer Sheva Starting XI

• GK: Ofir Marciano
• DF: Guy Mizrahi, Miguel Vítor, Itay Rotman, Pedro Amador
• MF: Niv Yehoshua, Lucas Ventura, Eliel Peretz
• FW: Javon East, Igor Zlatanović, Zahi Ahmed

Sabah FA Starting XI

• GK: Stas Pokatilov
• DF: Akim Zedadka, Steve Solvet, Rahman Dashdamirov, Tymoteusz Puchacz
• MF: Umarali Rakhmonaliev, Ivan Lepinjica, Xander Severina, Aleksey Isayev, Veljko Simić
• FW: Joy Lance Mickels

Post-Match Verdict

Hapoel Beer Sheva delivered a controlled, possession-based performance, repeatedly circulating the ball and probing (67% possession, 18 total shots) until their structure yielded the decisive second-half goal. Their attacking unit, led by East and Zlatanović with Peretz supplying from midfield, translated territorial dominance (7 shots on target) into a narrow but deserved margin. Defensively, however, they were occasionally vulnerable in transition, as reflected by Sabah’s 5 shots on target and the need for 4 saves from Marciano.

Sabah FA’s approach was built around compact defending and sharp transitions. They were clinical early on (scoring from one of their first attacks) and remained dangerous whenever they broke Beer Sheva’s press, but their limited possession (33%) and lower shot volume (8 total shots) meant they were largely reactive. Pokatilov’s workload (7 saves) highlighted both his importance and the pressure Beer Sheva exerted. To overturn the tie, Sabah will need to preserve their counter-attacking edge while finding more sustained phases on the ball to avoid being pinned back for such long stretches again.