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Farul Constanta and Sheriff Tiraspol square off in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League qualifying tie on Wednesday (July 12). The hosts booked their spot in the qualifiers courtesy of being Romanian league champions, while Sheriff will fly the Moldovan flag as champions.
Farul are coming off a 1-0 defeat against Sepsi Sf. Gheorge in the Romanian Super Cup. Ion Gheorge scored two minutes into the second half to settle the contest.
Sheriff, meanwhile, have not been in action since a 7-6 penalty shootout win over Balti in the final of the Moldovan Cup to complete the domestic double in May. Sheriff are the seeded side in the contest, while Farul are unseeded. The winner of this tie will face either Urartu or Zrinjski Mostar in the second qualifying round.
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Farul vs Sheriff Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
- This will be the first meeting between the two sides.
- Sheriff are on a 13-game unbeaten streak across competitions, winning ten games.
- This is Farul's second UEFA Champions League qualifying tie. They lost the first by a 4-1 aggregate defeat despite claiming a 1-0 home win.
- Nine of Sheriff's last ten games across competitions have produced less than three goals, including the last eight.
- Sheriff's last five competitive games have seen at least one side fail to score.
- Farul ended their title-winning league campaign with five games that had goals at both ends.
Farul vs Sheriff Prediction
Farul defied expectations when they claimed a shock league crown last term. The Sailors have nothing to lose in the tie and everything to gain and will aim to make their home advantage count in the first leg.
Sheriff, meanwhile, will also fancy their chances of getting a positive result. The Moldovans are defensively resolute and limit chances afforded to their opponents. They might be even more compact in Romania, considering the high stakes on the line.
There's little to choose from between the two sides on paper. Although either side could nick a win, the spoils could be shared in a low-scoring draw.
Prediction: Farul 1-1 Sheriff
Farul vs Sheriff Betting Tips
Tip 1 - Result: Draw
Tip 2 - Both teams to score
Tip 3 - Under 2.5 goals
