Utrecht take on the visitors Sheriff Tiraspol in the second leg of UEFA Europe League Qualification round of quarterfinals. First leg result: 3-1. The match will be played on Thursday, July 31st at Stadion Galgenwaard (Utrecht).
Utrecht are just beginning their new football season. Utreg can’t really boast of great success. Their only league title came way back in the 1950s, and not even under the current club’s structure, but one of its predecessors. Later, they did manage to add several Dutch Cup victories, though the last of those dates back to 2004. The previous season was quite solid, though it could’ve been much better. For a long time under Ron Jans, Utrecht were holding second place in the Eredivisie, well behind title-chasers PSV and Ajax, but ahead of Feyenoord. However, Feyenoord’s resurgence under returning hero Robin van Persie, now as head coach, pushed Utrecht down to a fourth-place finish in the end. The club have since strengthened with several summer signings and are starting the new campaign early — from the Europa League qualifiers.
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Sheriff were founded in 1997, and by 2001, they had already claimed their first Moldovan championship. Since then, they’ve collected over 20 domestic titles and even tasted continental glory, most notably under Yuriy Vernydub — finishing third in a Champions League group ahead of Shakhtar Donetsk and famously beating Real Madrid. But in the last two seasons, they failed to win the national title, signaling a clear drop-off in domestic dominance. To correct course, they started the new campaign with a win over reigning champions Milsami. However, they followed that up with a goalless draw against Petrocub and an unexpected loss to Zimbru, raising questions about their current consistency. In Europe, though, they looked much more confident — after thrashing Prishtina 4-0 at home, they coasted through the second leg with a minimal loss in Kosovo. Hosting the Dutch side, however, they were clearly second-best — conceding three and managing just a late consolation goal.
The club from Galgenwaard Stadium rarely qualify for European competitions. Unsurprisingly, this was their first-ever meeting with the Wasps. Utrecht already won the first leg away and will want to deliver another strong performance at home — backing them with a -1.5 handicap looks like the best bet.
Prediction for the match: Utrecht to win with -1.5 handicap.
