Just over a day remains until Sabah face Hapoel Be'er Sheva in the second leg of their Champions League qualifying play-off. The Israeli club arrived in Baku in advance, accompanied by journalists from some of the country's leading sports media outlets.
İdman.Biz reviewed reports by Israeli journalists in Baku to assess Hapoel's condition ahead of the decisive encounter, what concerns the visitors and what kind of football they intend to play against Sabah.
The main conclusion from the Israeli media coverage is that the visitors have no intention of coming to the Tofig Bahramov Republican Stadium simply to protect their 2-1 advantage from the first leg.
In particular, Walla Sport correspondent Yaniv Tuchman, who is in Baku with the team, reports a high level of concentration within the Hapoel camp. The first training day in the Azerbaijani capital was relatively light, with Kozuch holding a short session before shifting the main workload to the day before the match.
Ahead of their final training session, the players are spending most of their time at the hotel. Team meetings, video analysis and detailed tactical briefings are scheduled. The club stresses that the players fully understand the importance of the upcoming match and are completely focused on the task.
Perhaps the most interesting information concerns Kozuch's tactical plan. According to Walla, the Israeli coach has no intention of asking his team to sit back in Baku. Despite holding an advantage from the first leg, he wants Hapoel to retain their main principles: high and aggressive pressing, organised ball movement and an attempt to control the game through possession.
According to the report, Kozuch insists that his team play this way regardless of the stadium or the opponent. It was this approach that helped Hapoel win the Israeli championship and reach the decisive round of Champions League qualifying.
At the same time, there is little sign of complacency in the Israeli champions' camp despite their 2-1 victory in the first leg. Walla pays particular attention to Sabah's previous qualifying round. The Azerbaijani club found themselves in an almost identical situation after losing 2-1 away to Denmark's Aarhus, only to produce a stunning 4-0 victory in the return leg.
Hapoel believe that result could give Sabah's players additional confidence ahead of the second leg. At the same time, the Israeli side remain convinced of their own strengths. The visitors believe they can play with the ball in Baku, control the tempo and remain faithful to Kozuch's usual model.
From a squad perspective, the situation also appears comfortable for the visitors. Walla reports that Kozuch has a full squad available and no major changes to the starting eleven are expected. The coach is likely to retain the core of the team that started Hapoel's recent successful matches.
Joao Victor has also recovered after spending more than a month on the sidelines through injury and could be included in the squad.
Ynet correspondent Shay Mogilevsky, who also travelled to Azerbaijan with Hapoel, offers a different perspective on the upcoming match.
His report combines football with impressions of Baku. The journalist highlights the Azerbaijani capital's modern architecture and even refers to the city using the description "Dubai of the Caucasus".
Hapoel held their first training session near the Baku Olympic Stadium, whose scale and modern architecture impressed the Israeli correspondent. The decisive match, however, will take place at the Tofig Bahramov Republican Stadium, where the visitors are due to hold their final training session today.
Ynet also makes an interesting observation about the atmosphere in the city itself. According to Mogilevsky, a day before a hugely important match for both clubs, there is little sense of football fever around Baku.
The Israeli journalist partly attributes this to the traditionally greater popularity of Qarabag and Neftchi in the city. In addition, Baku is already visibly preparing for the upcoming Formula 1 race, with grandstands being installed and images of global motorsport stars appearing on the streets.
Ynet points to another detail that could be significant when assessing the physical condition of the Israeli team. According to the outlet, the trip to Azerbaijan represents Hapoel's 13th flight in approximately a month and a half.
That figure includes the journey to a training camp in Poland and numerous trips connected with European competition.
Hapoel have attempted to minimise the impact of the travel by arriving in Baku early. The flight itself lasted around two hours and 40 minutes, with the plane landing shortly before 03:00 local time. The players then checked into a hotel in the city centre.
Overall, the picture painted by the Israeli journalists in Baku is clear: Hapoel have arrived with confidence following a successful run, virtually no squad problems and no intention of abandoning their attacking style.
At the same time, Sabah's emphatic 4-0 victory over Aarhus in the previous round serves as a warning that the tie is far from over.
The decisive answer will come on August 25 at the Tofig Bahramov Republican Stadium. Kick-off is scheduled for 20:45 Baku time. Hapoel won the first leg in Bucharest 2-1.
