Hapoel Beer Sheva Dominates Sabah FA in UEFA Champions League

Hapoel Beer Sheva’s 2-1 win over Sabah FA at Rapid-Giulesti Stadium was a textbook example of territorial domination gradually grinding down a compact 4-2-3-1 block. The Israelis turned 67% possession and a 18–8 shot advantage into a controlled, if hard‑earned, first-leg platform in this UEFA Champions League Play-offs tie, recovering from an early setback and then suffocating Sabah’s transitions.

Team Structure

Structurally, Ran Kozuch kept Hapoel Beer Sheva in a clear 4-3-3. The back four of G. Mizrahi, Miguel Vitor, I. Rotman and P. Amador held a high line, with the three-man midfield of N. Yehoshua, Lucas Ventura and E. Peretz providing constant circulation. Up front, J. East and Z. Ahmed worked the half-spaces around central striker I. Zlatanovic. The shape was possession-oriented from the outset: 659 total passes with 595 accurate at 90% reflects a deliberate, low-risk progression, using the full width to stretch Sabah’s block.

Sabah's Counter-Attack

Sabah FA’s 4-2-3-1 under Valdas Dambrauskas was built for counter-attacks. The double pivot of U. Rakhmonaliyev and I. Lepinjica sat in front of a back four that rarely stepped beyond the middle third. The three behind J. Mickels – X. Severina, A. Isayev and V. Simic – were tasked with springing forward quickly once possession was won. Their early 6' goal through V. Simic, assisted by T. Puchacz, validated the plan: a quick transition exploiting space before Hapoel’s rest defence was fully set.

Tactical Adjustments

From there, the tactical story was one of Hapoel Beer Sheva tightening their counter-press. With 16 of their 18 shots coming from inside the box, the hosts repeatedly managed to pin Sabah deep and recycle second balls around the area. Lucas Ventura and E. Peretz were key: one sat to protect against counters while the other stepped into the right or left half-space to overload around the ball. This staggered midfield prevented Sabah from playing through the first line and forced long, hopeful clearances towards J. Mickels.

The equaliser on 43' from J. East underlined how the 4-3-3’s wide forwards were instructed to attack the box aggressively rather than just hold width. With Sabah’s full-backs drawn out and the double pivot dragged laterally, East’s movement into the central lane created the extra man in the penalty area that Sabah’s zonal scheme could not pick up in time.

Pressing and Discipline

Out of possession, Hapoel Beer Sheva’s front three pressed asymmetrically. The ball-side winger jumped to Sabah’s full-back, Zlatanovic screened passes into Lepinjica, and the far-side winger tucked in to protect the central lane. This forced Sabah’s build-up into one flank, where Hapoel could then compress space and regain the ball. The foul count – 12 for Hapoel versus 6 for Sabah – reflects the home side’s willingness to break transitions early, especially after losing the ball in advanced areas.

Sabah’s offensive output – 8 total shots, 5 on goal – shows they were not entirely passive. When they did break the press, they attacked directly into the space behind Hapoel’s advanced full-backs. V. Simic drifting inside from the left and the overlapping runs of Puchacz were their clearest route to goal. However, the lack of blocked shots (0) and the relatively low volume of attempts suggests that most of their attacks ended before they could establish sustained pressure around the box.

Substitution Impact

The substitution pattern from Kozuch sharpened Hapoel Beer Sheva’s attacking edge. On 66', A. C. Ganah (IN) came on for Z. Ahmed (OUT), adding fresh legs and more direct running on the flank. At 71', M. Abu Rumi (IN) replaced J. East (OUT), maintaining intensity in the wide channels rather than dropping into a more conservative 4-4-2. The decisive moment came in the 79' when Zlatanovic scored, assisted by E. Peretz, capping a long spell of pressure where Hapoel repeatedly attacked the half-spaces and forced Sabah’s back line to defend facing their own goal.

The double change at 85' – H. Kanaan (IN) for N. Yehoshua (OUT) and Y. Malede (IN) for Zlatanovic (OUT) – subtly shifted the emphasis from pure possession to more vertical threat on the break, anticipating Sabah’s late push. Yet Hapoel still kept the ball well enough to deny Sabah any extended siege in the closing minutes.

Discipline and Control

Discipline also fed directly into the tactical narrative. All three yellow cards went to Hapoel Beer Sheva defenders or attacking substitutes: Miguel Vitor on 76' for “Tripping”, I. Rotman on 77' for “Roughing”, and A. C. Ganah on 84' for “Foul”. Each came in phases where Sabah tried to transition quickly, and Hapoel chose to stop the break rather than retreat. Sabah, by contrast, finished without a single booking, consistent with a low-press, low-contact defensive approach that focused more on maintaining shape than on aggressive duels.

From a territorial and control perspective, the numbers are emphatic. Hapoel Beer Sheva’s 67% possession, 18 shots (7 on goal, 5 blocked) and 3 corners versus Sabah’s 33% possession, 8 shots (5 on goal, 0 blocked) and 2 corners illustrate a match in which the home side dictated where and how the game was played. Sabah’s 305 passes with 237 accurate at 78% tell of a team mostly playing under pressure and forced into more direct, lower-percentage balls.

Yet the 2-1 scoreline shows that Sabah’s counter-attacking model did generate enough quality moments to stay in the tie. Their 5 shots on goal from just 8 attempts indicate that when they did reach the final third, they were relatively efficient at testing the goalkeeper. Tactically, though, they spent too long defending deep, and once Hapoel Beer Sheva adjusted their rest defence and counter-press after the early goal, Sabah’s 4-2-3-1 lost its ability to consistently exploit the space behind the high line.

Overall, this was a match where structure and volume eventually told. Hapoel Beer Sheva’s 4-3-3, with its patient circulation and aggressive occupation of the box, gradually overwhelmed Sabah FA’s compact 4-2-3-1, turning statistical superiority into a narrow but deserved first-leg advantage.