Hapoel Be'er Sheva vs Sabah FK

This playoff-round tie is about survival in Europe's top competition: the winner reaches the lucrative Champions League league phase, while the loser is parachuted into the Europa League playoff round instead. Both H. Beer Sheva and Sabah Baku are only just getting their domestic seasons underway, so league position tells you little right now — this tie is the priority for both clubs. Beer Sheva have been steady through qualifying, following a win over Víkingur Reykjavík with a 3-0 aggregate win over Crvena Zvezda, Zahi Ahmed opening the scoring in the first leg. Sabah's route was far bumpier: they trailed AGF Aarhus 1-2 on aggregate before storming back with a 4-0 rout in Baku, Veljko Simić — already among the qualifiers' top scorers — and Joy-Lance Mickels both on target for the reigning Azerbaijani champions. The two clubs have never met before, so there's no head-to-head history to lean on. Our prediction: 2-1