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Maccabi Haifa visit the Bank Respublika Arena in Azerbaijan on Thursday (August 1) to take on Sabah in the second leg of the UEFA Europa Conference League second qualifying round. Their progression hopes are hanging by a thread after suffering a heavy 3-0 loss at home to Sabah last week.
In a breathtaking display of attacking flair in the second half, the Azeri side took their hapless hosts to the cleaners. Pavol Safranko put Sabah in front after 61 minutes before Jesse Sekidika doubled their advantage 17 minutes later.
Xayal Aliyev put the final nail in Haifa's coffin with a third goal three minutes from time as Sabah took a giant leap towards the next round of the qualifiers.
It also marks the Owls' biggest win in European qualifiers, having only made their debut last year. They progressed from the second qualifying round after seeing off Latvian side RFS 4-1 on aggregate but lost to Serbia's Partizan on penalties in the third round after the two sides had finished 2-2 on aggregate.
With a big win now, the Masazir outfit will be confident of their chances, aiming to get the job done and seal their berth in the next round.
Meanwhile, Haifa could see a season without European football for the first time since 2020. Over the last three years, they have made serious progress in European competitions, reaching the Champions League for the third time in 2022-23 season and the last-16 of the UEFA Europa Conference League last year.
Sabah vs Maccabi Haifa Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
- This is the second competitive clash between the two sides.
- Sabah have won both home games in the European qualifiers, beating RFS 2-1 and Partizan 2-0.
- In five European qualifiers, Sabah have kept a clean sheet in three.
- Since 2022, Maccabi have played 15 qualifying games, winning eight and losing thrice.
- If they are unable to turn their deficit around, Maccabi will have a campaign without European football for the first time in four years.
Sabah vs Maccabi Haifa Prediction
Sabah will rightfully feel they have one foot in the third qualifying round, thanks to their big advantage. They are likely to sit back, content with letting their rivals have the ball. A draw seems fitting, with the Azeri side progressing.
Prediction: Sabah 1-1 Maccabi
Sabah vs Maccabi Haifa Betting Tips
Tip 1 - Result: Draw
Tip 2 - Goals over/under 2.5: Under 2.5
Tip 3 - Both teams to score: Yes
