- Sheriff are unbeaten in their last 5 (W2, D3) while Aluminij have won one, drawn two and lost two of their last five.
- Sheriff have scored four times in their last five competitive away games.
- The draw is the safest bet at 23/10 with Sheriff coming in as slight favourites at 19/20 and Aluminij priced at 143/50.
Don’t rush to back Sheriff in Slovenia
Sheriff Tiraspol remain level heading into the second leg of this UEFA Europa League Qualification 2026 tie following the 0-0 draw in Moldova earlier today. The Moldovan side are in better form and will be much more confident of getting a result, but it is still a very even match and the tie hangs in the balance.
Jura Arsić's Aluminij have shown some flexibility in their 3-4-3, 4-3-3 and 4-4-2 structures, but have always been a survival-first side in the tougher European games. They set up with a solid block away from home, squeezing the centre of the pitch and forcing the opponents wide where they can deal with the threat in smaller numbers.
Their latest two results have been a 3-0 away loss to NK Maribor in Prva Liga 2025/2026 and the 0-0 stalemate in the first-leg with Sheriff. Aluminij's home record across all competitions is one win, one draw and one defeat after three games, but the visitors have a superior away record of one win, three draws and one defeat in five.
Patience will be the key for Sheriff
Sheriff have been in better shape than Aluminij coming into this match with no defeats in their last five (W2, D3) and they won't have been too disappointed by the 0-0 result from the first-leg. Victor Mihailov, who has been head coach since 1st June 2025, has instilled a pragmatic and result-first mentality upon the side that has seen them win five, draw four and lose just one of their last ten in all competitions.
Sheriff's last three results have been a 3-0 home win over FC Real Sireti in Super Liga 2026/2027, a 0-0 home draw with Aluminij and a 0-0 away draw with Politehnica Chisinau. Mihailov's side usually set up in a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3, building from the pivots and creating fast vertical play on the counter-attack.
Aluminij can keep it cagey
The best way forward for Sheriff here will be to maintain structure, control the territory and wait for that one break through, while Aluminij's best chance will be to keep the match in the mud and hope that they can catch the Moldovans on the break.
We are leaning towards Sheriff to nick this one, but the result that best matches the odds is for the visitors to win by a single goal, and Aluminij may just be able to hold on to a 1-1 draw if Sheriff are unable to make their superiority tell. Aluminij have conceded just two goals at home across all competitions (0.67 per game) so they could certainly frustrate the Sheriff at Kidricevo Sports Park.
