Sabah vs. H. Be’er Sheva – News and Probable Lineups

In a crucial fixture, Sabah will face Hapoel Be’er Sheva in the second leg of their Champions League playoff at the Bank Respublika Arena in Azerbaijão on Tuesday.

The Owls enter the match trailing 2-1 following the first leg played in Bucharest, requiring an exceptional performance on home ground to overturn this deficit and secure their first-ever place in the Champions League league phase.

Match overview

Sabah started strongly in the first leg, taking the lead within six minutes via Veljko Simic, but they could not withstand Hapoel Be’er Sheva’s comeback, as the home side reversed the outcome.

The reigning champions of Azerbaijão have commenced the 2026-27 domestic season positively, notching a 2-0 win against Kapaz while carrying over their impressive European form into the new campaign.

The Black-pinks have successfully navigated through ties against TNS, KuPS, and AGF to arrive at this juncture, but Tuesday’s encounter stands as the most significant occasion in the club’s history, with a spot in the Champions League league phase within reach.

Under head coach Valdas Dambrauskas, the team can take motivation from their outstanding recovery against AGF, having turned around a 2-1 first-leg loss by thrashing the Danish team 4-0 in the return match at home.

Sabah has also recorded victories in all their European matches played at home in this qualifying campaign, a record that should inspire confidence as they face a critical second leg, though they still face a significant challenge in overcoming the deficit to make history.

Meanwhile, Hapoel Be’er Sheva is also pursuing a historic first entry into the league phase of the Champions League and will have a narrow lead as they head into Tuesday’s decisive return match.

The Camels showcased significant resilience in the first leg, responding to Sabah’s early goal by leveling through Javon East just before halftime, then sealing the win with Igor Zlatanovic’s decisive goal.

Ran Kojok’s squad has now recorded four consecutive victories in the Champions League qualifiers and stands tantalizingly close to making history, although Sabah will be determined to avoid their European ambitions coming to an end on home turf.

As the current champions of Israel, Hapoel Be’er Sheva has claimed their first Premier League title since the 2017-18 season, but securing a place in the Champions League main round would be another significant milestone for the club.

The spirit of their comeback in the first leg should provide them with ample encouragement, coupled with their impressive 2-0 away victory over Red Star Belgrade in the previous round, highlighting their capability to deliver strong performances at the European level.

Team News

The home team will once again look to Veljko Simic for inspiration as the attacking midfielder has been in exceptional form, netting six times in his last seven outings.

Joy Lance-Mickels had a quieter game in Romênia, but he has previously demonstrated his knack for rising to the occasion, having scored four times across all competitions since the season kicked off.

Eliel Peretz was impressive in the first leg and is expected to maintain his place in the midfield, with Lucas Ventura and Niv Yehoshua likely to join him in a tightly knit three-man midfield setup.

Miguel Vitor and Itay Rotman both received yellow cards in the earlier match, but neither player is anticipated to be omitted from this vital second leg.

Sabah probable starting XI:

Pokatilov; Zedadka, Solvet, Dashdamirov, Puchacz; Rakhmonaliyev, Lepinjica; Simic, Isayev, Severina; Mickels

Hapoel Be’er Sheva probable starting XI:

Marciano; Mizrahi, Miguel Vitor, Rotman, Amador; Peretz, Lucas Ventura, Yehoshua; East, Zlatanovic, Ahmed

Sabah’s remarkable home record in European competitions provides them with ample reason to believe they can overturn the first-leg deficit, particularly with Veljko Simic’s attacking prowess potentially being pivotal in front of their supporters.

While Hapoel Be’er Sheva has exhibited plenty of resilience during their qualifying journey, Sabah is likely to exert significant pressure in familiar surroundings and achieve the comeback necessary to progress to the Champions League league phase.