Sabah make history with first Champions League win
Azerbaijani champions Sabah Baku claimed their first-ever Champions League victory on Tuesday, defeating Slavia Prague 2-0. The competition debutants, who had been heavily beaten by Manchester United in their opening fixture, scored twice in the second half to secure the historic result. The win marks a significant moment for Azerbaijani football on the European stage.[S1][S2][S3][S4][S5][S6][S7][S8]
Kaheem Parris, who had a first-half strike ruled out by the video assistant referee for offside, swept home the opener in the 49th minute. The forward latched onto Ivan Lepinjica's cutback and finished first time from the edge of the box. Slavia came close to equalising when Lukas Provod saw a hooked effort saved, before his follow-up header was blocked on the line by Sabah defender Akim Zedadka. The visitors appealed for a penalty, and the VAR conducted an extended check but decided the ball had glanced off Zedadka's chest before striking his arm.[S1]
The hosts sealed their victory late on through a bizarre Joy-Lance Mickels goal. Slavia goalkeeper Jakub Markovic came well out of his goal and miscontrolled before Mickels had a weak shot from distance. It should have been cleared by Slavia defender David Moses, but the Nigerian tripped over his feet and the ball bobbled into the net. The defeat extends Slavia's winless run in the Champions League to 21 matches (seven draws and 14 losses) - the longest in the competition since a 23-game run by Romanian side FCSB in 2013. Slavia visit Fenerbahce on 21 October in the next round of fixtures, while Sabah host Borussia Dortmund.[S1]
