Will the Israelis be in a good position for the second leg?

It was two seasons ago that upstart Sheriff Tiraspol qualified for the Champions League group stage for the first time in their history and made a splash there. Unforgettable is the 2-1 away victory of the Transnistrians at the later overall winner Real Madrid. However, the current team does not have much in common with the team of that time, which is why betting on a home win for the Moldovan team against Maccabi Haifa in Sheriff Tiraspol is anything but a foregone conclusion.

In addition, Maccabi Haifa have also experienced a clear upswing. The Israelis last played in the preliminary round of the Champions League in 2022/23 and also celebrated a respectable success with a 2-0 home victory over Juventus Torino. The forecast for Sheriff Tiraspol against Maccabi Haifa is correspondingly coherent, with the team from Mount Carmel able to hold their own against the Transnistrians in the first and second legs.

It is striking that the Israelis already celebrated a brilliant 4-0 away victory in the first leg of the Champions League qualifying round, while Sheriff Tiraspol only managed to punch their ticket to the next round in extra time in the second leg after losing 1-0 in the first leg. The Moldovan side failed to score in two of their three competitive matches in the 2022/23 season. In this context, it is very interesting to bet on a maximum of one team scoring in the first leg, which also includes a quite realistic result such as a goalless draw.

While a low-scoring match is very likely in this duel in the 2nd qualifying round for the Champions League, the Women’s World Cup, meanwhile, could continue to be a very high-scoring affair. The question of who will be the top scorer at this tournament is also an exciting one.

Sheriff Tiraspol – Statistics & current form

F Fotbal Club Sheriff Tiraspol was only founded in the late 1990s, but with the funds of major sponsor and namesake Sheriff, they were able to quickly take over national supremacy in the Republic of Moldova. As early as 2001, the Zholto-Chornyye (the yellow and black) became national champions for the first time in history.

Only in the 2010/11 and 2014/15 seasons have the Osy (Wasps) missed out on the championship so far. For the 21st time in history, the championship title in Moldova went to Transnistria this summer.

Scarcely missed out in the first round

Thanks to its good finances, the upstart has also been able to attract increasing international attention recently. In 2021/22, FC Sheriff reached the group stage of the Champions League for the first time, taking seven points from six games. The highlight was undoubtedly the unforgettable 2:1 at the Santiago Bernabéu against the eventual overall winners Real Madrid.

Last season, on the other hand, the Transnistrians already had a hard time qualifying. After two difficult rounds, they lost out to Viktoria Pilsen in the 3rd qualifying round. This year, the yellow-and-blacks were already eliminated in round one, but after a 1-0 first-leg defeat against Farul Constanta, they managed to force extra time in the second leg, where they prevailed.

Without a goal of their own in two of their three competitive matches in the 2022/23 season

Under too good a star, however, is the tip for Sheriff Tiraspol against Maccabi Haifa to advance for the Osy. Especially offensively, the team, which no longer has the big names of the memorable 2021/22 season, finally lacks the penetrating power.

This is also evidenced by the fact that the yellow-and-blacks have failed to score in two of their three competitive matches in the still young 2022/23 season. The only exception was the 1-0 win over Farul Constanta in the second leg of the 1st qualifying round, which was followed by two more goals in extra time.

Predicted line-up of Sheriff Tiraspol:
Koval – Apostolakis – Bueno – Garananga – Zohouri – Badolo – Kyabou – Talal – Paulo – Henrique – Mbekeli

Maccabi Haifa – Statistics & current form

Maccabi Haifa Football Club is celebrating its 110th anniversary this year, looking back on a highly successful period in the club’s history. In the summer of 2023, the Greens won their 15th Israeli championship and their third title in a row.

At the end of the Ligat ha’Al season, they were seven points ahead of Hapoel Be’er Sheva. The team from the Carmel Mountains will start the new season with a broad chest, but also with a new coach.

Six consecutive league victories with 22:4 goals

Under the 37-year-old coach Messay Dego, the start of the season can be considered extremely successful. Not only did Maccabi Haifa celebrate a 6:1 victory over Hamrun Spartans in the 1st qualifying round, but also in the Israeli Super Cup nothing burned in a 3:1 victory over Beitar Jerusalem last Saturday.

The Greens have thus won their first three competitive games of the 2023/24 season, just as they were victorious in their last three competitive games of the previous season. In total, the team from Israel’s north scored 22 goals in those six competitive matches.

Getting off to a good start in the second leg

The betting odds on Sheriff Tiraspol against Maccabi Haifa are accordingly favourable for the Greens, who are now looking to set the course for progression away in Moldova. An away win would give them their first leg in the 3rd qualifying round. But even a draw would mean a good starting position.

Consequently, the team from the Carmel Mountains does not have to use the crowbar against defensively very compact opponents, but can also afford to play a very calm and patient game. That, in turn, favours betting that there won’t be too much action in the first leg.

Projected line-up of Maccabi Haifa:
Nitzan – Cornud – Goldberg – Seck – Sundgren – Saba – Mohamed – Naor – Chery – Pierrot – David

Sheriff Tiraspol – Maccabi Haifa Direct comparison / H2H-balance

Head to head: 0 – 0 – 0

There has never been an international must-win match between the two teams before. Accordingly, there is no “head to head” data available that could influence our prediction in any way for Sheriff Tiraspol vs Maccabi Haifa.

Sheriff Tiraspol – Maccabi Haifa Tip

The bookmakers’ odds read very evenly in the run-up to the first leg between Sheriff Tiraspol and Maccabi Haifa. Basically, this speaks for the role of favourites for the Israelis, who would also create a good starting position for the second leg next week with a draw. Consequently, the visitors do not have to put their heads through the wall, but can take it easy against the very defensively oriented Transnistrians.

Much speaks for a low-scoring first leg between the two nations. While FC Sheriff have failed to score in two of their three competitive matches in the young season, the Israelis went scoreless in their Champions League 1st qualifying round away match.