Sheriff Tiraspol and FC Utrecht competed in the UEFA Europa League qualifying rounds, with their first leg taking place on July 24, 2025 at Sheriff Stadium in Tiraspol, Moldova[3]. The match is part of their quest to advance in the Europa League, and both clubs entered the fixture with different backgrounds and form. Sheriff, who have enjoyed a strong domestic start with 13 points from a possible 15, recently dispatched Prishtina with a dominant 5-2 aggregate victory in the previous round. Meanwhile, Utrecht received a bye into the second round thanks to their higher UEFA coefficient[1].
In terms of team quality and form, Sheriff have demonstrated consistency, especially at home, where they remain unbeaten since August 2024. They are known for quick starts, having opened the scoring in six of their last seven matches — a key strength as they look to gain an early advantage in this tense encounter. Utrecht, on the other hand, had to fight hard at the end of their 2024-25 season to secure European qualification, finishing strong in the Dutch Eredivisie to earn their place in this round[1].
Match preview analyses predicted a close contest, with Sheriff in better recent form but Utrecht regarded as having superior overall squad quality. The expectation from pundits is that although Sheriff are likely to make things difficult for the Dutch side, Utrecht could ultimately edge the tie over two legs. Sports Mole’s prediction for the match was Sheriff Tiraspol 1-2 FC Utrecht[1].
ESPN provided live coverage of the July 24, 2025 match, listing starting lineups and match events as they unfolded. Some of the key Sheriff players included Ivan Dyulgerov, Nana Boakye, and Amarildo Gjoni. Utrecht’s lineup details were also covered, but as of the latest live update, the match remained goalless in the early stages[5].
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