Sabah Baku produced a dramatic late comeback to edge Hapoel Beer Sheva 3-2 in a pulsating UEFA Champions League qualifier at the Tofiq Bahramov Stadium on Wednesday night. The Azerbaijani champions overturned a two-goal deficit in the final half-hour to take a narrow advantage into the second leg in Israel, leaving the tie finely poised at 3-2.

A night of high drama in Baku

Playing in front of a fervent home crowd, Sabah Baku started brightly but found themselves undone by two clinical strikes from Hapoel Beer Sheva inside the first 35 minutes. The Israeli side, appearing in Champions League qualifying for the third consecutive campaign, looked composed and dangerous on the counter-attack, but their two-goal lead proved fragile as Sabah grew into the contest after the interval.

The match swung decisively when Sabah pulled one back in the 61st minute, setting up a frantic finish. With the clock ticking down, the hosts equalised with a well-worked move in the 78th minute, and then completed the comeback in stoppage time, sending the Baku faithful into raptures.

Key moments

• 0-1 (12'): Hapoel Beer Sheva struck first, converting a fast break with a composed finish inside the box after Sabah overcommitted in midfield.
• 0-2 (34'): The visitors doubled their lead with a header from a corner, giving them a commanding platform at halftime.
• 1-2 (61'): Sabah Baku responded immediately after the break, as a looping header from a cross found the far corner to reduce the arrears.
• 2-2 (78'): The hosts found space on the left wing, and a low cut-back was swept home first-time to level the match.
• 3-2 (90+2'): In the second minute of added time, Sabah scrambled the winner from a goalmouth scramble after a set-piece, completing a memorable turnaround.

Tactical story

Sabah Baku's initial pressing approach left gaps in behind, which Hapoel Beer Sheva exploited with direct, vertical passes into the channels. However, the home side adjusted after halftime, holding a higher defensive line and committing more bodies forward in wide areas. That shift stretched Hapoel's midfield and forced the Israeli defence into hurried clearances, which ultimately proved decisive in the closing stages.

Hapoel Beer Sheva, for their part, will rue their failure to kill the tie off. They created clear chances to make it 3-1 on the break but were denied by a combination of fine goalkeeping and wayward finishing. Their away goal advantage is now offset by Sabah's momentum, setting up a fascinating second leg.

Standout players

• Sabah Baku's No. 10: The orchestrator of the comeback, drifting between the lines and providing the assists for the first two goals before helping force the winner.
• Sabah Baku goalkeeper: Made three crucial saves in the second period, keeping his side in the contest when Hapoel threatened to re-establish a two-goal cushion.
• Hapoel Beer Sheva's left winger: A constant threat in the first half, providing the assist for the opener and winning the corner that led to the second.

What it means

The result gives Sabah Baku a distinct advantage heading into the second leg in Beer Sheva next week. In Champions League qualifying, an away team scoring two or more goals and winning by a one-goal margin remains a strong position, but Hapoel Beer Sheva will take confidence from their own away goals and the knowledge that they outplayed their hosts for large stretches.

For Sabah Baku, the comeback represents a landmark result for Azerbaijani club football on the European stage. A place in the next qualifying round, or even a potential drop into the UEFA Europa League or Conference League, would mark a historic run for the club. Hapoel Beer Sheva, meanwhile, are still firmly in the tie but will need to address the defensive lapses that cost them the lead if they are to progress.