Azerbaijan's Sabah will face Hapoel Beer-Sheva in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League play-off today, with both clubs chasing a historic place in the league phase.
As reported by İdman.Biz, the match will kick off at 23:00 Baku time at Giulesti Stadium in Bucharest. Hapoel will play their home fixture in Romania due to UEFA's restrictions on international matches in Israel. The return leg will take place at Baku's Tofig Bahramov Republican Stadium on August 25 at 20:45.
One of the key features of the tie will be the tactical battle between Sabah head coach Valdas Dambrauskas and Hapoel boss Ran Kojukh.
Dambrauskas has built Sabah around tactical flexibility and the ability to change their approach during matches. The Lithuanian led the Baku club to the Azerbaijani league and cup double in his first season, while the team's unbeaten run reached 33 matches.
Sabah also demonstrated their ability to transform games in the previous qualifying round. After losing 2-1 away to Aarhus, they scored four unanswered goals after half-time in the return leg.
Kojukh's Hapoel, meanwhile, rely heavily on intensity and aggressive pressing.
"High pressing is what distinguishes us. We simply don't know how to play any other way," the Israeli coach previously said.
That approach helped Hapoel eliminate Serbian champions Red Star Belgrade 3-0 on aggregate.
The central tactical question in Bucharest could therefore be whether Sabah can play through Hapoel's initial press. If Dambrauskas' side succeed, they could find space behind the Israeli team's defensive lines. If Hapoel force Sabah into mistakes close to their own penalty area, Kojukh's side could gain a significant advantage.
The neutral venue also deprives Hapoel of their usual home atmosphere, while Sabah will have the advantage of hosting the decisive second leg in Baku.
One of Dambrauskas and Kojukh will ultimately lead his club into the Champions League league phase for the first time.
