Sabah come from behind to defeat Hapoel Be'er Sheva and qualify for Champions League proper

[p]With a historic first league phase/group stage spot within grasp, both sides flew out of the blocks in Baku. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/h-beer-sheva/EXAD1YZP/"]Hapoel[/a] striker [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/zlatanovic-igor/0KLpTEtU/"]Igor Zlatanovic[/a]’s close-range finish was ruled out for offside following a VAR review after just two minutes, before [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/parris-kaheem/x8DYRAJb/"]Kaheem Parris[/a] struck the post at the other end. [/p][p]Having been earlier denied, [b]Zlatanovic soon had the goal he had threatened when he slotted into an empty net in the 10th minute after [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/yehoshua-niv/x4UqQbYO/"]Niv Yehoshua[/a] closed down goalkeeper [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/pokatilov-stas/0pcgeIvU/"]Stas Pokatilov[/a]’s weak clearance. [/b][/p][p]The Serbian centre-forward remained at the heart of Hapoel’s attacking play, but the injury that forced him off shortly after the half-hour mark gave [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/sabah-baku/fNGcxbyr/"]Sabah[/a] a way back into the clash. And, just before HT, they were back on level terms on the night [b]when a defensive mix-up gifted [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/nwachukwu-christian/dQzo29qk/"]Christian Nwachukwu[/a] the easy task of prodding home from close range.[/b][/p][image alt="Match stats: Sabah vs Hapoel Be'er Sheva" id="1bc308ae-03d8-44e6-84eb-86a9d0cd771c" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="f1c9b338-9229-4878-8662-e34255a67ba2" original-width="2160" original-height="2700" /][p]The contest’s frantic pace showed no signs of letting up after the restart, with Sabah almost turning the game on its head inside five minutes as Joy-[a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mickels-joy-lance/zkEPknlk/"]Lance Mickels[/a]’ shot hammered the crossbar. However, Pokatilov was again at fault for the hosts [b]as another avoidable error allowed [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mizrahi-guy/S4YgutLS/"]Guy Mizrahi[/a] to chip Hapoel back in front with around an hour on the clock.[/b][/p][p]Despite the latest blow, Sabah rallied once more, and[b] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rakhmonaliev-umarali/04WEkm2N/"]Umarali Rakhmonaliev[/a] zipped a 25-yarder past [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/marciano-ofir/0ItVoC0j/"]Ofir Marciano[/a] to level the game again[/b] to restore hope for the Azerbaijani outfit. [/p][p]Their recovery efforts appeared to be in vain as the final whistle loomed, yet in a moment of pure drama, [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mutallimov-tellur/Spxg3PPM/"]Tellur Mutallimov[/a] spectacularly volleyed home a 94th-minute corner to force ET and send the home crowd into raptures.[/b][/p][p]The additional 30 minutes saw the pendulum emphatically swing in Sabah’s favour. Hapoel’s cause was significantly dented by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/diop-djibril/hbIj14F8/"]Djibril Diop[/a]’s dismissal for a second booking, before [b]Sabah substitute [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mbina-orphe/raAukyKu/"]Orphe Mbina[/a] nodded the Azerbaijani champions to the brink of glory.[/b][/p][image alt="Momentum: Sabah vs Hapoel Be'er Sheva" id="009c1c05-9b68-4779-ad53-993dafe3942a" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="7ca30e2d-0cad-4fb0-87f3-824175285ac3" original-width="2160" original-height="2700" /][p][b]Mickels then put the result beyond doubt with an emphatic fifth,[/b] while [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/peretz-eliel/jcWz0dVQ/"]Eliel Peretz[/a]’s red card that reduced Hapoel to nine men was emblematic of their late collapse.[/p][p]The home supporters will celebrate this success long into the night, especially after the long journey their team have come through having navigated all four rounds of UCL qualifying.[/p][p]Hapoel, meanwhile, at least have the consolation prize of a first UEFA Europa League main draw qualification since 2020/21, but they will wonder how they let a place at the continent’s top table slip through their fingers.[/p][p][b]Flashscore Man of the Match: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rakhmonaliev-umarali/04WEkm2N/"]Umarali Rakhmonaliyev[/a] (Sabah Baku)[/b][/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/h-beer-sheva-EXAD1YZP/sabah-baku-fNGcxbyr/?mid=0KccwcGq"]View the match stats on Flashscore.[/a][/b][/p]