Hapoel Be'er Sheva vs Sabah Baku - Live Stream

View the live stream and TV coverage details and live score for the 2026/2027 UEFA Champions League play-off Match - Hapoel Be'er Sheva vs Sabah Baku.

Hapoel Be’er Sheva and Sabah FC meet at Bucharest’s Rapid-Giulești Stadium on Wednesday, August 19, in the first leg of a historic UEFA Champions League play-off tie that will send one of the clubs into the competition proper for the first time. Israeli champions Hapoel reached this stage by overturning a first-leg deficit against Víkingur Reykjavík before eliminating former European champions Crvena Zvezda 3-0 on aggregate, while Azerbaijani champions Sabah have won five of their six Champions League qualifiers, most recently recovering from a first-leg loss to Aarhus with an emphatic 4-0 home victory. Kick-off at the neutral venue in Romania is scheduled for 10:00pm local time, 9:00pm CET and 3:00pm US Eastern Time.

How to Watch Hapoel Be'er Sheva vs Sabah Baku - UEFA Champions League play-off Match

Road to the play-offs

Hapoel Be’er Sheva opened their campaign with a 2-1 defeat away to Víkingur Reykjavík but advanced after winning the return leg 2-0. Ran Kozuch’s side then produced one of the standout results of the third qualifying round, beating Crvena Zvezda in both legs to progress 3-0 on aggregate.

Sabah have already negotiated three qualifying rounds. Valdas Dambrauskas’ side eliminated The New Saints and KuPS before facing Aarhus. After losing the away leg 2-1, the Azerbaijani champions scored four unanswered second-half goals in the return match to complete a convincing aggregate victory. They subsequently opened their domestic league season by defeating Kapaz 2-0.

Neither team has previously reached the Champions League group stage or league phase. Sabah are also attempting to become only the second Azerbaijani club to qualify for the competition proper after Qarabağ. UEFA match preview

Team news

Hapoel Be’er Sheva

Dan Biton and João Victor are expected to miss the first leg through injury. Pedro Amador and Djibril Diop have also been listed as fitness concerns, making the left side of the defence the principal area of uncertainty.

Ofir Marciano should retain his place in goal, with veteran captain Miguel Vítor anchoring the defence. Lucas Ventura, Eliel Peretz and Niv Yehoshua are expected to form the midfield.

Igor Zlatanović, who scored during the aggregate victory over Crvena Zvezda, should lead the attack. Zahi Ahmed has contributed two goals in four European appearances, while Javon East is likely to operate from the opposite flank.

Predicted Hapoel Be’er Sheva lineup (4-3-3): Marciano; Mizrahi, Miguel Vítor, Rotman, Baltaxa; Peretz, Lucas Ventura, Yehoshua; East, Zlatanović, Ahmed.

Sabah

Khayal Aliyev is expected to be Sabah’s only confirmed injury absentee, leaving Dambrauskas with an otherwise strong squad.

Stas Pokatilov has started all six Champions League qualifiers in goal and should continue behind a defence featuring Akim Zedadka, Steve Solvet, Rahman Dashdamirov and Tymoteusz Puchacz.

Veljko Simić is Sabah’s leading European scorer this season with five goals in six appearances. Joy-Lance Mickels has added three goals, while Orphé Mbina is expected to lead the line. Aleksey Isayev should operate centrally behind the striker, supported by Umarali Rakhmonaliyev and Ivan Lepinjica.

Predicted Sabah lineup (4-2-3-1): Pokatilov; Zedadka, Solvet, Dashdamirov, Puchacz; Rakhmonaliyev, Lepinjica; Mickels, Isayev, Simić; Mbina.