Hapoel Beersheva Wins UEFA Champions League Playoff First Leg

(Aug. 20, 2026 / JNS) Israeli professional soccer club Hapoel Beersheva secured a 2-1 comeback victory over Azerbaijan’s Sabah FK in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League qualifying playoff on Wednesday night.
Veljko Simić put Sabah on top in the sixth minute of play at Giulesti Stadium in Bucharest, Romania, which lasted until just before halftime when Javon East equalized at the 43rd minute. Igor Zlatanovic put Beersheva up for good in the 79th minute.

The second leg is set for Aug. 25 at Tofiq Bahramov Republican Stadium in Baku with Beersheva up 2-1 on aggregate, with the overall winner advancing to the UEFA Champions League.

Hapoel Tel Aviv is kicking off in Bergamo, Italy on Thursday night against Atalanta in the first leg of a playoff round for a spot in the UEFA Conference League. The second leg is scheduled for Aug. 27 at DVTK Stadium in Miskolc, Hungary.

Israeli clubs have been required to host UEFA competition matches at neutral venues for security reasons since the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.