FC St. Gallen

vs

FC Sheriff Tiraspol

Tips, Stats and Odds

St. Gallen have some momentum

FC St. Gallen secured a vital 3-1 win in last week's first leg against FC Sheriff in Moldova, and now come into this second leg as the odds-on favourites (1.34) to take their place in the UEFA Conference League proper. Sheriff have a live chance to push this tie to the end though, given that they're unbeaten in 4 away matches in all competitions (W3, D1). Enrico Maassen's men have introduced a fast, high-tempo style of football to St. Gallen this season, combining a high-energy pressing game with speedy vertical transitions and overloads designed to win the ball back as high up the pitch as possible. Their opponents here have gone the other way, preferring a compact, counter-punching set-up, using the wide areas to get their most dangerous players into the game and creating openings. St. Gallen have won 7 of their last 10, while Sheriff have won 4 of their last 10, so the momentum appears to be with the hosts here. Sheriff have lost 3 of their last 5 though (W1, D1), so they will need to find their rhythm to compete on Thursday.

Avoid the hosts

St. Gallen are odds-on, and while they're certainly the superior side on paper, Sheriff have proven to be a slippery customer on the road in all competitions, winning 3 of their last 4 away from home. The goal markets appeal more than the result markets, with Over 2.5 and Both Teams To Score both looking a bit pricey at 1.65 and 2.02 respectively. This should be a great game at Sitterstadion, Switzerland, as Sheriff will look to absorb and counter. This is an interesting clash of styles, with St. Gallen wanting to suffocate their opponents with tempo and pressure, while Sheriff will look to absorb and then hit on the counter. St. Gallen have won 3 of their last 4 at home, losing once, and are averaging 1.75 goals for and 1.75 against in this time, so a 3-1 home win seems the most likely outcome.