Sheriff will welcome Omonia Nicosia to the Stadionul Zimbru for a matchday six fixture in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday.
The hosts come into the game on the back of a 2-1 victory over Dacia Buiucani at the same venue in league action over the weekend. Rasheed Akanbi and Steve Ambri scored second-half goals to inspire the win.
Omonia Nicosia triumphed over Anorthosis Famagusta with a routine 2-0 home win in the Cypriot First Division. Bruno and Andronikos scored late in either half to guide their side to all three points.
They will turn their attention to European football, where they are yet to register their first points of the season and are rooted to the bottom of Group E. Sheriff Tiraspol sit in third spot with three points garnered from five games.
Real Sociedad and Manchester United have already claimed the top two spots in the group. Omonia Nicosia and Sheriff's clash is a direct knockout to determine who finishes third and drops down into the UEFA Europa Conference League.
Sheriff vs Omonia Nicosia Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
- Sheriff claimed a 3-0 away victory in the first leg clash between the two sides in September.
- Omonia's victory on Monday halted a run of six successive defeats in all competitions.
- Sheriff have only scored more than once in one of their last 15 games as the designated hosts in the Europa League.
- Omonia Nicosia are yet to register an away victory in UEFA group stage football, football.
- Omonia's last six matches in all competitions have seen at least one or both sides fail to find the back of the net.
Sheriff vs Omonia Nicosia Prediction
The opportunity to keep playing European football next year is up for grabs for the two teams, but Sheriff hold a strong advantage. The Moldovan champions' 3-0 away win in the first leg means they only need to avoid losing by a three-goal margin to secure third spot.
This leaves Omonia with a mountain to climb. However, their victory over Anorthosis halted a six-game losing run which saw them part ways with former manager Neil Lennon.
Sheriff are likely to play deep to protect their advantage and we are backing the hosts to claim a narrow victory in a low-scoring game.
Prediction: Sheriff 1-0 Omonia Nicosia
Sheriff vs Omonia Nicosia Betting Tips
Tip 1 - Sheriff Tiraspol to win
Tip 2 - Both teams to score: No
Tip 3 - Under 2.5 goals
Tip 4 - Highest scoring half: Second half