Beitar Jerusalem defeated AEK Larnaca 1-0 as Brayan Carabali’s magnificent second half free kick strike gave the yellow-and-black the victory in UEFA Conference League second round first leg qualifying. Almog Cohen’s team will look to advance to the third round where the winner of the Austria Wein and Lepaja clash will be waiting, as the second match of their two-legged tie with Cypriot side will take place next Thursday in Ploiești, Romania, just outside of Bucharest.

AEK began the game pressing Beitar as they created a number of chances off of corner kicks but Jan Repas missed the target while Riad Bajic’s opportunity hit the woodwork early on. Omer Atzily and Eugene Ansah began to propel the Beitar attack following the hydration break as the yellow-and-black started to ramp up their offense with multiple corner kicks but couldn’t find the back of the goal as the match went into the break goalless.

Noam Muche, Daniel Worko and Yarden Cohen all had chances to get the second half underway while Head Coach Almog Cohen made a triple substitution with Shon Weissman, Johnsbosco Kalu and Timothy Muzie entering the fray in the 57th minute. Worko, Ansah and Kalu pressed to break the deadlock, at the other end Hrvoje Miličević’s free kick was saved by an alert Miguel Silva.

Beitar kept pushing for a marker and found it in the 77th minute when Brayan Carabali blasted a free kick past a helpless AEK keeper Antreas Paraskevas that came about when AEK defender Mike Van der Hoorn was sent off with a straight red card after he yanked down Muzie on his way to the goal. From there with the extra man, it was all Beitar for the balance of the match as the yellow-and-black wrapped up the victory.

“We had some difficulties at the start of the game,” Beitar Jerusalem Head Coach Almog Cohen began. “We wanted to find our rhythm and move the ball, but AEK came out with a high press and took us around 15–20 minutes to find the spaces. During the first 20–25 minutes they managed to create a few chances, but after that I think there was only one team on the pitch. The second half was completely ours and I don’t think they even had a single shot on target.

“I was very pleased with my players and the effort they showed. Once we had the numerical advantage, I wanted us to move the ball more quickly, create more chances and try to score another goal. In knockout matches, you have to recognize moments like that and understand when there is an opportunity to extend your lead. At the end of the day, I have to give a lot of credit to my players. They faced a very good team with quality both on and off the ball, as well as plenty of experience. I’m very happy with the result.”