“Sabah” wrote another magnificent page in the history of Azerbaijani football. In the return leg of the UEFA Champions League play-off round, “Sabah” defeated Israeli champion “Hapoel Beer-Sheva” 5:2 in extra time in Baku, winning 6:4 on aggregate and qualifying for the main stage of the tournament.
Modern.az reports that in the first match, “Sabah” lost 1:2 away. For this reason, the Azerbaijani representative needed at least a two-goal victory in the return match in Baku. However, the match did not start easily for “Sabah”. “Hapoel Beer-Sheva” opened the scoring in the 10th minute with a goal from Igor Zlatanovic. But “Sabah” did not back down and Kristian Nwachukwu equalized in the 38th minute.
Although the visitors took the lead again in the second half with a goal from Guy Mizrahi, “Sabah”'s fight did not end there. In the 74th minute, Umarali Rahmonaliyev made it 2:2 with a precise long-range shot. In the 4th minute of added time, Tellur Mutallimov's goal took “Sabah” to the desired extra time.
In extra time, there was only one team on the field. In the 101st minute, Orfey Mbina put “Sabah” ahead, and in the 115th minute, Joy-Lance Mickels sealed the 5:2 score. Thus, “Sabah” made an incredible comeback and advanced to the main stage of the Champions League.
“Sabah” attracted attention with its confident victory in yesterday's match. The team's fight on the field, correct tactical approach, and cool-headedness in important moments were the main factors of the victory.
Behind this success, the special role of the team's head coach Valdas Dambrauskas stands out. Since the Lithuanian specialist joined the team, noticeable changes have been observed in “Sabah”'s playing style and behavior on the field. Dambrauskas's tactical discipline, interventions in the game, and ability to get the maximum out of the players directly affect the team's results.
With Dambrauskas's arrival, not only tactical but also psychological changes are felt in “Sabah”. The team does not give up in difficult moments, defends more disciplined, and looks more confident in attack. Yesterday's victory was another indicator of this change.
Valdas Dambrauskas can be named as one of the main heroes of the night. His game plan and the players' adherence to this plan created the conditions for “Sabah” to win an important victory.
It is interesting whether “Sabah” will continue this performance in the upcoming matches. But one point is already clear: Dambrauskas's arrival has brought a new breath to the team's game, and yesterday's victory was remembered as one of the brightest results of this process.
It should be noted that after Valdas Dambrauskas's arrival as the head coach of “Sabah”, a new page of success has been opened in the team's history. In his first season, the Lithuanian specialist won the Azerbaijani championship and the Azerbaijani Cup for “Sabah”, achieving a “golden double”.
Under Dambrauskas's leadership, “Sabah” also achieved a historic result in Europe. The team advanced to the league stage of the Champions League, setting a new record in club history.
Thus, Dambrauskas's activity in “Sabah” is already remembered with two titles and historic success in Europe. Since his arrival in the team, “Sabah” has attracted attention with both its results and playing character.
Nicat Rüstəm
