Sheriff Tiraspol and FC Utrecht faced each other on July 24, 2025, in the first leg of their UEFA Europa League second-round qualification tie. The match took place at Nisporeni Stadium. Sheriff entered the fixture after a strong domestic start and a 5-2 aggregate win over Prishtina in the prior European round, while Utrecht had not played since their Eredivisie season ended in May and qualified for this stage thanks to their higher UEFA club coefficient[3].
Heading into the match, Sheriff were in better form, leading their league with 13 points out of 15 and boasting an unbeaten home record since August 2024[5]. Their style relied on early attacking momentum, often scoring first in the majority of their games. Utrecht, although lacking recent match rhythm, were seen as possessing superior squad quality.
Predictions and odds slightly favored Utrecht, with betting markets offering a moneyline of -128 for Utrecht to win and +355 for Sheriff. The total goals over/under was set at 2.5, with the under being favored at -151[1]. Preview analysis suggested a likely close contest, with more emphasis on Utrecht’s technical quality prevailing in the away tie; Sports Mole projected a 2-1 away win for Utrecht[5].
In terms of team news, Sheriff had Cyrille Bayala suspended and unavailable for selection, while no major injuries were reported on either side[1]. Statistical previews also highlighted that six of Sheriff’s last eight games featured at least three goals, but Utrecht’s recent results were often low-scoring[3].
The result of this tie will determine progression in the Europa League qualifying rounds, with the winner set to face the loser of the Champions League qualifier between Viktoria Plzen and Servette, and the loser dropping into the Conference League[3].