Match Preview: Plzen 2-1 Sheriff Tiraspol Predictions and Betting Tips 09.08.2022

Plzen – Sheriff Tiraspol Predictions & Tips For Today, August 9, 2022.

League: CHAMPIONS LEAGUE – QUALIFICATION – SEMI-FINALS
Match: 18:00 Plzen – Sheriff Tiraspol
Tip: Over 1.5 Goals
Odd: 1.35
Bookmaker: Bet365
Match Result: 2:1 WON!!!

Plzen – Sheriff Tiraspol Match Preview

• Viktoria Plzeň are inching closer to a first UEFA Champions League (UCL) group stage spot since 2018/19, with a 2-1 first leg victory against Sheriff Tiraspol putting them in pole position to secure progression to the UCL qualification play-off round. Another 2-1 win at the weekend, this time in the Czech Liga, should only heighten confidence in the Plzeň camp as that victory served as their first domestic win of the season.
• Plzeň have fallen at this stage once before in the UCL back in 2017/18 against Steaua Bucharest, where they fell to a 4-1 home defeat. A repeat of that result seems unlikely given Plzeň last lost a competitive game on home turf back in May 2021 and only one team has prevented them from scoring at the Doosan Arena in the time since!
• Famed for their win at the Santiago Bernabéu against Real Madrid in last season’s UCL, upset kings Sheriff Tiraspol have their work cut out if they are to rub shoulders with Europe’s big-hitters again this campaign. A repeat of their 3-1 Moldovan League away victory at the weekend would be enough to seal progression to the play-off round, but considering that win against Madrid was their last away victory in the UCL, that is by no means assured (D3, L1 since).
• Both of Sheriff’s prior UCL away qualifiers this term have ended goalless, in keeping with the final two away qualifiers of their UCL qualification run last season which also ended level! A draw won’t be enough for the Moldovan champions to advance here, but considering Sheriff have won just one of their nine prior games against Czech opposition (D5, L3), anything better than a draw seems far-fetched.
• Players to watch: Pavel Bucha netted Plzeň’s winner in the reverse fixture and has seen his last five goals arrive after half-time. Meanwhile, Sheriff’s Ibrahim Akanbi Rasheed’s last two goals arrived before the break, one of which came during the first leg.
• Hot stat: Eight of Sheriff’s last nine UCL away qualifiers have seen the half-time result replicated at full-time.