Hapoel Beer Sheva 2 - 1 Sabah FA: East and Zlatanović give Kozuch the first-leg edge
Hapoel Beer Sheva have the advantage. Not a decisive one, not yet, but a real one: Hapoel Beer Sheva 2 - 1 Sabah FA in Bucharest on Wednesday, in the UEFA Champions League qualifying play-off first leg, after R. Kozuch’s side recovered from a bad start and turned control into a narrow lead.
Sabah FA struck first. Veljko Simić scored in the 6th minute, assisted by Tymoteusz Puchacz, and for a while Gomez Fernandez had the match where he wanted it: compact, direct and awkward for Hapoel, with Sabah defending in their 4-2-3-1 and waiting for the next chance to disrupt the rhythm.
But Hapoel had too much of the ball, too many entries into the box and, eventually, too much weight in the final third. Javon East scored in the 43rd minute, just before half-time, the kind of goal that changes the negotiation of a two-legged tie. Sabah were no longer protecting a lead. They were defending a result.
Then came the decisive moment: Igor Zlatanović scored in the 79th minute, assisted by Eliel Peretz. The tie is not settled, but Hapoel secured the advantage.
How the match turned
R. Kozuch set Hapoel Beer Sheva up in a 4-3-3, with Ofir Marciano in goal, Guy Mizrahi, Miguel Vítor, Itay Rotman and Pedro Amador across the back, Niv Yehoshua, Lucas Ventura and Eliel Peretz in midfield, and Javon East, Igor Zlatanović and Zahi Ahmed across the front line.
Gomez Fernandez went with Sabah FA in a 4-2-3-1: Stas Pokatilov in goal, Akim Zedadka, Steve Solvet, Rahman Dashdamirov and Tymoteusz Puchacz in defence, Umarali Rakhmonaliev and Ivan Lepinjica holding, Xander Severina, Aleksey Isayev and Veljko Simić behind Joy Lance Mickels.
The contrast was clear. Hapoel wanted territory and repetition. Sabah wanted the first punch, then space. For six minutes, the away plan looked perfect. Puchacz, dangerous throughout from the left, supplied the assist for Simić, who gave Sabah the early lead in the 6th minute.
After that, the match became a test of patience for Hapoel. They had 67 percent possession, completed 597 accurate passes, and kept sending play into the box. Peretz was the key man. He was not just neat on the ball; he was the player finding the next pass, the one that moved Sabah’s defensive block half a metre out of shape. His five key passes tell the story.
East mattered because he changed the mood. His goal in the 43rd minute stopped Sabah reaching the interval in control. He had only one shot on target, but it was enough. In a first leg, that timing is significant.
The second-half management
Sabah adjusted first. P. Mbina replaced Xander Severina in the 56th minute, giving Gomez Fernandez a fresh forward option and a different outlet.
R. Kozuch responded in stages. A. Ganah came on for Zahi Ahmed in the 66th minute, then Mohamad Abu Rumi replaced Javon East in the 71st minute. That kept Hapoel’s front line moving and stopped Sabah settling too comfortably into a low block.
Sabah made another change in the 74th minute, with Christian Nwachukwu replacing Aleksey Isayev. Then the match briefly looked as if it might tilt through discipline rather than play. Miguel Vítor was booked in the 76th minute, and Itay Rotman was booked in the 77th minute, both for fouls. For a minute or two, Sabah had a window.
Hapoel shut it quickly.
Peretz supplied the assist and Zlatanović scored in the 79th minute. No overstatement needed. Zlatanović had been Hapoel’s most persistent finisher, with four shots and three on target. When the chance came, he gave Hapoel the lead their volume deserved.
There was still late housekeeping. A. Ganah was booked in the 84th minute. Hapoel made further changes in the 85th minute, with M. Kna'an replacing Niv Yehoshua and Zlatanović also withdrawn. Sabah’s final substitution came in the 89th minute, with Erivaldo Almeida replacing Steve Solvet.
The numbers
| Metric | Hapoel Beer Sheva | Sabah FA |
|---|---|---|
| Possession | 67% | 33% |
| Total shots | 18 | 8 |
| Shots on goal | 7 | 5 |
| Shots inside box | 16 | 5 |
| Corners | 3 | 2 |
| Fouls | 12 | 6 |
| Yellow cards | 3 | 0 |
| Goalkeeper saves | 4 | 4 |
| Total passes | 661 | 306 |
| Accurate passes | 597 | 237 |
| Pass accuracy | 90% | 77% |
The headline number is not possession, it is 16 shots inside the box for Hapoel. That shows where the match was played. Sabah were not passive — five shots on goal from eight attempts is efficient — but they spent too long without the ball and asked Pokatilov to do too much.
Who changed it
Eliel Peretz was the organiser and the closer. He finished with one assist, five key passes and 82 total passes, and he had the strongest influence on Hapoel’s attacking rhythm. When Hapoel needed clarity, he gave it.
Igor Zlatanović gave the tie its current shape. Four shots, three on target, one goal in the 79th minute. That is the centre-forward’s job in a European play-off: stay in the game long enough to decide it.
Javon East gave Hapoel oxygen in the 43rd minute. Without that goal, Sabah go into half-time ahead and the whole second half becomes a different proposal.
For Sabah, Veljko Simić was excellent in defeat. He scored in the 6th minute, won eight of 11 duels, drew fouls and gave Sabah a genuine attacking reference point. Tymoteusz Puchacz also had a strong night, with the assist, three key passes and real work on both sides of the ball.
What it means
Hapoel Beer Sheva lead the tie, but the margin is thin. R. Kozuch got the result his team’s pressure deserved, yet the three yellow cards and Sabah’s efficiency are warnings for the return leg.
For Gomez Fernandez, the brief is simple: Sabah have proof they can hurt Hapoel, because they did it in the 6th minute. But they also know 33 percent possession and eight shots is a fragile model if Hapoel again pin them back.
Hapoel are not through. But after falling behind early and winning anyway, they travel with the one thing every club wants in August: the lead, the momentum and the timeline in their hands.
