The head coach of "Sheriff" Tiraspol prepares his squad for a challenging Europa League qualification quarterfinal against Dutch side "Utrecht". The first leg of this European encounter is scheduled for July 24, 2025, at 22:00 local time in Tiraspol, with bookmakers favoring the visitors despite Sheriff's home advantage.
"We respect our opponents from the Netherlands, but we have our own European experience and will use our home field advantage," the Moldovan team's coach emphasized before this crucial fixture.
"Sheriff" enters this match with mixed recent form. The Moldovan club finished second in their domestic league last season, falling short of the championship but managed to claim the Moldovan Cup by defeating Milsami in the final. In the current Europa League qualification campaign, they overwhelmed Prishtina 4-0 at home in the first round before suffering a 1-2 away defeat – their first official loss in 11 months.
Their opponents, "Utrecht", come into this European clash after finishing fourth in the Eredivisie last season. Interestingly, the Dutch side has been struggling with European qualifications recently. Their last Europa League qualification attempt was back in 2019, while their most recent group stage appearance in European competitions dates all the way back to the 2010/11 season.
"Utrecht" approaches this match following a series of five friendly games, as the Dutch league's off-season extends until August. These matches should have provided sufficient preparation for the squad to reach proper match fitness.
This fixture marks the first-ever meeting between these two clubs. Despite bookmakers giving the Dutch side a 54% chance of victory compared to just 22% for the hosts, "Sheriff" might have an edge due to being midway through their domestic season, while "Utrecht" hasn't started their league campaign yet.
Can the Moldovan underdogs leverage their match sharpness to secure an advantage before the return leg in the Netherlands? Thursday's clash in Tiraspol will provide the answer.
