Well, hello, Champions League
The final whistle of Romanian referee Istvan Kovacs announced that from now on nothing will be the same as before — in a positive sense.
Indeed, on this evening a new chapter was written in Azerbaijani football. Already the second club has broken through to the final stage of the UEFA Champions League. Last year it was Aghdam's Qarabag, this time it is Baku's Sabah. A club with an eight-year history will play in the main club tournament of the Old World. Where else can you come across something like this? So this truly is a celebration with a capital letter. Although the start of the match foreshadowed the opposite. The players of Hapoel Be'er Sheva, who had not allowed Sabah to play their own game in the first match (2:1), from the very beginning did not let them do it in Baku either. Igor Zlatanovic's quick goal was disallowed for offside, but seven minutes later he was the one who opened the scoring. It seemed that now Sabah might break down psychologically, but in reality everything turned out differently. It was quite unexpected to see Veljko Simic in the starting lineup in Alexey Isayev's position, with Christian Nwachukwu appearing on the left in his place. On the right, Valdas Dambrauskas fielded Kahim Parris, although many expected to see Orphe Mbina in the starting lineup. In the end, Mbina still became one of the heroes of the match, scoring in extra time. But it still had to be taken that far, and for that at least two goals had to be scored. And the "owls" did it. But first they leveled the score through the efforts of Nwachukwu, and then conceded again from Mizrahi.
In both goals conceded by the Baku side there were gross errors by goalkeeper Stas Pokatilov. It remained to score two goals again, and there was little time left. Umarali Rahmonaliev's accurate strike gave us hope, which toward the end began to crumble... right up until the last seconds. And here the ending of the famous Qarabag - Eintracht match came to mind. Again a corner delivery (moreover, the very same one at the very same stadium) and an accurate strike by an Azerbaijani footballer. Back then it was Bahlul Mustafazade. Today Sabah was saved from dropping into the Europa League by substitute Tellur Mutallimov.
In extra time Sabah finished off the opponent, who in addition was left a man down because of a second yellow card received by Djibril Diop. First Mbina, and then Mikkels brought the match to the closing fireworks over the Tofiq Bahramov Stadium.
Baku will see the Champions League again. Already for the second year in a row. Previously we could not even think about such a thing, but today it has become reality. Dreams come true if you turn them into goals and work hard. And this applies not only in football, but in any aspect of life.
VALDAS DAMBRAUSKAS
HEAD COACH OF FC SABAH
We coped with the task at a very difficult moment. Perhaps some of you lost hope at the last moment, but the players fought to the end and believed in themselves. Let's see what happens next. We are in the group stage of the best tournament in the world, we will play against the best teams and we are proud of this. Today I am the happiest head coach in the world.
JOY-LANCE MIKKELS
PLAYER OF FC SABAH
After conceding the goal we did not give up, we fought to the end, to the very last seconds. We won and these are indescribable emotions.
This evening has already entered the history of Azerbaijani football. Now it remains to find out whom fate will give the Baku side in the draw, but one thing can already be said for certain: the European football autumn in Baku will be a special one.
EMIN AKHMEDOV
