Analysis The numbers behind the result
Sabah FA's dominance in shots and possession overwhelms 10-man Hapoel
Sabah FA's 5-2 victory after extra time was a fair reflection of their dominance, as they outshot Hapoel Beer Sheva 33 to 14, with 12 on target compared to Hapoel's 5. Despite Hapoel taking an early lead through Igor Zlatanovic (10'), Sabah's relentless pressure saw them equalise via Christian Nwachukwu (38') and Umarali Rakhmonaliyev (74'), before extra-time goals from Tural Mutallimov (90+4'), Obi Mbina (101'), and Joy Mickels (115') sealed it.
Sabah's 54% possession translated into superior chance creation, with 29 shots inside the box (vs Hapoel's 9) and 11 corners (vs 3). Hapoel's discipline collapse – two red cards (Diop 100', Peretz 117') and four yellows – compounded their struggles against Sabah's wave of attacks. Ultimately, Sabah's 33 total shots to Hapoel's 14 was the defining metric, highlighting their control and Hapoel's inability to stem the tide after going down to 10 men.