Azerbaijani side Sabah FK made history on Tuesday night, securing their first-ever win in the UEFA Champions League with a 2-0 victory over Slavia Prague at the Baku Olympic Stadium — a landmark moment for the club in their debut campaign in Europe’s elite competition.
A Cagey First Half
Both sides played a controlled game in the opening 45 minutes, with no goals to show for it. Sabah thought they’d broken the deadlock when Kaheem Parris found the net, but the goal was ruled out for offside, leaving the match scoreless at the break.
Parris Opens the Scoring Early in the Second Half
Sabah, founded just eight years ago, came out quickly after the restart. In the 49th minute, Parris scored the club’s first-ever Champions League goal, sweeping home a cut-back from Ivan Lepinjica into the bottom corner to put the hosts 1-0 up.
Slavia Prague pushed hard for an equalizer from there, creating several chances as the match wore on, but Sabah’s defense held firm.
Mickels Seals It Late
With two minutes remaining, Sabah secured the points in dramatic fashion. A poor clearance from Slavia goalkeeper Jakub Markovič allowed Joy-Lance Mickels to seize possession and fire home from distance, capitalizing on the defensive error to make it 2-0 in the 89th minute.
What the Result Means
The win gives Sabah their first three points of the Champions League league phase, following an opening defeat to Manchester United. For Slavia Prague, the loss continues a lengthy winless run in the competition proper, after they also failed to collect a point in their first match of the campaign.
Sabah will next host Borussia Dortmund, while Slavia Prague will travel to face Fenerbahçe in their next fixture.
The victory provides a major boost for Sabah and their supporters in Baku as the club looks to build on this historic result against a challenging group of opponents in the competition’s league phase.
