Sabah marked their home Champions League debut with a landmark 2-0 victory over Slavia Prague in Baku, becoming only the second Azerbaijani club to win a match in Europe’s leading competition after Qarabag.
Valdas Dambrauskas’ side had arrived for their second match in the competition looking to respond to the 4-0 defeat at Old Trafford. They did so with a disciplined display against a Slavia team that created the greater volume of chances but could not beat goalkeeper Aleksandr Pokatilov or the home defence.
Parris delivers the breakthrough
Kaheem Parris was central to Sabah’s night. The Jamaican winger had already seen a first-half effort ruled out for offside, while Slavia were denied twice by goal-line defending at the other end.
With the visitors pressing, Sabah found the decisive moment through a swift attacking move. Parris collected the ball outside the penalty area and struck from distance to put the Azerbaijani side ahead.
Slavia continued to test the hosts, but Pokatilov produced an important performance in goal as Sabah protected their advantage through the closing stages.
Late mistake seals historic win
Sabah made certain of the result in the 89th minute. German forward Joy Lance Mickels capitalised on a defensive error to score the second goal and secure the club’s first three Champions League points.
The result gives Dambrauskas and his squad a defining European night in Baku. The Lithuanian coach, who once funded his coaching course in England with €1,000 won on the Lithuanian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, has now guided Sabah to a result that places them alongside Qarabag in Azerbaijani Champions League history.
