Hapoel Beer Sheva Secures 2-1 Victory Over Sabah FA in UEFA Champions League Play-offs

Hapoel Beer Sheva 2-1 Sabah FA at Rapid-Giulesti Stadium, Bucharest leaves the Israeli side in a strong position in this UEFA Champions League Play-offs tie, overturning an early deficit with a controlled, possession-heavy display that limited Sabah’s threat after the break.

Match Report

The game opened with a shock for Hapoel Beer Sheva. On 6', Sabah FA struck first: 6' Sabah FA goal — Veljko Simić (assisted by Tymoteusz Puchacz). Puchacz advanced from the left and delivered into a dangerous area, where Simić arrived to finish and give the visitors a 0-1 lead.

Hapoel Beer Sheva responded by pinning Sabah back for long spells, and the pressure finally told just before half-time. On 43', 43' Hapoel Beer Sheva goal — Javon East (unassisted). East capitalised with a solo effort, levelling the tie at 1-1 after sustained attacking territory.

The second half brought the first tactical changes. On 56', Sabah adjusted their attacking line: 56' substitution — Patrick Orphe M'Bina replaced Xander Severina (Sabah FA), adding a more direct presence up front. Hapoel Beer Sheva answered on 66', refreshing their front three: 66' substitution — Amir Chaim Ganah replaced Zahi Ahmed (Hapoel Beer Sheva), looking for more penetration against a tiring back line.

Further attacking tweaks followed for the hosts on 71': 71' substitution — Mohamad Abu Rumi replaced Javon East (Hapoel Beer Sheva), with East withdrawn after his first-half equaliser as Beer Sheva sought fresh legs to press Sabah’s build-up.

Sabah tried to regain a foothold on 74': 74' substitution — Christian Nwachukwu replaced Aleksey Isayev (Sabah FA), a move aimed at adding pace and vertical running from midfield.

The game then turned combative. On 76', 76' Miguel Vítor (Hapoel Beer Sheva) — yellow card (Tripping), punished for a late challenge as Sabah attempted to break. Just a minute later, 77' Itay Rotman (Hapoel Beer Sheva) — yellow card (Roughing), reflecting the hosts’ increasing aggression in duels as they tried to keep Sabah penned in.

The decisive moment arrived on 79'. 79' Hapoel Beer Sheva goal — Igor Zlatanović (assisted by Eliel Peretz). Peretz found space between the lines and threaded a pass into Zlatanović, who finished clinically to turn the match around and put Hapoel Beer Sheva 2-1 ahead.

Game management then became the priority for the home side. On 84', 84' Amir Chaim Ganah (Hapoel Beer Sheva) — yellow card (Foul), booked for a defensive intervention as Sabah chased an equaliser.

Hapoel Beer Sheva immediately reshaped their side with a double change on 85'. 85' substitution — Yonas Malede replaced Igor Zlatanović (Hapoel Beer Sheva), withdrawing the match-winner to add fresh energy in the forward line. In parallel, 85' substitution — Hamode Kanaan replaced Niv Yehoshua (Hapoel Beer Sheva), reinforcing midfield legs to protect the narrow lead.

Sabah made one final adjustment on 89' in search of late stability and set-piece threat: 89' substitution — Júnior Almeida replaced Steve Solvet (Sabah FA). Despite this, Hapoel Beer Sheva saw out the remaining minutes without conceding a clear chance, closing out a 2-1 home victory.

Fixture Statistics & Tactical Audit

• xG: Hapoel Beer Sheva null vs Sabah FA null
• Possession: Hapoel Beer Sheva 67% vs Sabah FA 33%
• Shots on Target: Hapoel Beer Sheva 7 vs Sabah FA 5
• Goalkeeper Saves: Hapoel Beer Sheva 4 vs Sabah FA 5
• Blocked Shots: Hapoel Beer Sheva 5 vs Sabah FA 0

The statistical profile underlines how Hapoel Beer Sheva controlled the match territorially and structurally. With 67% possession and 18 total shots to Sabah’s 8, the hosts were dominant in volume and field position, while 5 blocked shots show how often Sabah were forced to shoot through traffic. Despite the absence of xG figures, the 7-5 edge in shots on target and the territorial control suggest the 2-1 scoreline was broadly in line with the balance of chances. Sabah were efficient in the early phase but increasingly reliant on counters and isolated moments, whereas Beer Sheva’s sustained pressure eventually produced the decisive second goal.

Standings Update & Seasonal Impact

With no league standings data provided, the impact is framed entirely in the context of the UEFA Champions League Play-offs. The 2-1 home win gives Hapoel Beer Sheva a slender but valuable advantage to take into the return leg, ensuring that a draw away from home would now be enough to progress. For Sabah FA, the away goal keeps them alive in the tie, but they must overturn the deficit in the second leg, where their capacity to be more proactive in possession will be severely tested.

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’s performance was dominant (67% possession, 18 total shots) without ever becoming comfortable, largely because of Sabah FA’s early goal and intermittent counter-attacking threat. The hosts used their 4-3-3 to create consistent overloads in midfield, with Eliel Peretz influential between the lines and directly involved in the winning goal. Their defensive structure, while occasionally over-aggressive as reflected in three yellow cards, restricted Sabah to just 8 shots and 0 blocked efforts in their favour, suggesting most of their attempts came under pressure or from less threatening zones.

Sabah FA’s display was resilient rather than expansive. They were clinical in the opening phase with Simić’s early strike (1 goal from 5 shots on target) but increasingly retreated into a low-to-mid block as Beer Sheva’s passing rhythm grew. The 33% share of the ball and 305 total passes compared to Beer Sheva’s 659 underline how reactive their approach became. For the second leg, Sabah will need to shift from containment to controlled aggression, finding a way to press higher and generate more sustained attacking sequences, otherwise the structural superiority Beer Sheva showed here is likely to tell over 180 minutes.