Sabah Baku vs Hapoel Beer Sheva Prediction 25.08.2026 | UEFA Champions League

Sabah enter the second leg fully aware that they are facing a generation-defining match, though the men under Lithuanian manager Valdas Dambrauskas showed two completely different faces during the first leg on neutral territory in Romania.

The Azerbaijani representatives enjoyed a dream start when Serbian forward Veljko Simić found the back of the net in just the 6th minute to capture an early lead. However, a costly lapse in concentration during the closing stages of both halves ultimately stripped the team of a positive result ahead of Tuesday’s decisive 90 minutes.

Despite the setback, Dambrauskas has plenty of reasons to remain optimistic in front of his home crowd. His squad has already demonstrated a terrifying capacity for high-pressure comebacks this summer; in the previous qualifying round, after suffering a 2-1 defeat in Denmark, Sabah utterly demolished AGF Aarhus with a resounding 4-0 victory on home soil to cruise comfortably into the playoffs.

Furthermore, the Blues are successfully managing their domestic and continental commitments. Over the weekend, they kicked off their Azerbaijani title defense in style with a routine 2-0 victory over Kapaz, once again showcasing their lethal attacking efficiency at home.

A major question mark hangs over veteran defender Steve Solvet, who was forced off the pitch in the 89th minute of the first leg due to a visible injury. His availability will be evaluated right up until the final moments before kickoff.

When it comes to Hapoel Beer Sheva, the Israeli side travels to this distant away fixture with a one-goal cushion, fully aware of the hostile atmosphere awaiting them in Masazir. Nevertheless, their immense character cannot be overlooked; they quickly recovered from an early shock in the first leg to grind out a resilient 2-1 comeback victory.

Under the guidance of Ran Kozuch, the team operates as a highly pragmatic and stubborn European machine. They proved their pedigree in the previous qualifying round, pulling off a massive upset by eliminating Serbian champions Red Star Belgrade with a 1-0 home win followed by a clinical 2-0 triumph in Belgrade.

However, the Hapoel manager openly admitted that Sabah’s tactical style presents far more complex challenges than those posed by Red Star. Armed with a slender lead and with the lethal Igor Zlatanović leading the line, the visitors will look to stifle the midfield tempo and use rapid counter-attacks to secure a historic spot in the league phase.

Hapoel Beer Sheva will have to navigate this crucial second leg without Brazilian forward João Victor, who remains sidelined with a lingering muscle injury, while veteran attacker Dan Biton is also unavailable due to ongoing cardiac health protocols.