Carabalí asegura la victoria para Beitar en Chipre

AEK Larnaca and Beitar Jerusalem locked horns under the summer heat in Larnaca for a Conference League second qualifying round tie with plenty at stake. The home side looked to establish themselves early, but Beitar arrived with clear defensive intent. The opening exchanges were tight and cautious, with neither team willing to surrender space cheaply. Beitar's Eyal Ansah picked up an early yellow card in the seventh minute as the Israeli side set about frustrating their hosts.

The first half remained largely composed with few clear-cut chances falling to either side. Both teams probed without finding any real penetration, and the scoreline remained blank heading into the interval. Beitar's disciplined approach was working well, though they offered little going forward themselves. AEK pressed without reward, unable to unlock a well-organised visiting defence that seemed content to absorb pressure.

Everything changed in the second half. Beitar began to grow into the contest, and their patience paid dividends in the 77th minute when Bryan Carabalí broke the deadlock with a clinical finish. The goal shifted the momentum decisively in Beitar's favour. AEK's attempts to hit back were severely hampered two minutes earlier when Michio Van der Hoorn received a red card in the 72nd minute, leaving the hosts a man down. That numerical disadvantage proved decisive as Carabalí's strike put the away side in control with just over a quarter of an hour remaining.

The closing stages saw AEK push for an equaliser despite their reduced numbers, but Beitar's defending held firm. Substitutes continued to arrive with yellow cards, as Omer Atzili, Nicolas Muche and Ziv Ben Shimol all received cautions. Ultimately, Beitar's 0-1 victory gave them a valuable advantage heading into the return leg. For AEK, the red card and defeat at home left them with significant work to do if they were to progress.