Manchester United news: In their second Group E game, the Red Devils travel to Moldova to take on FC Sheriff Tiraspol on Thursday. They are looking to avenge the 1-0 loss to Real Sociedad the week before.
Those who think United will have it easy should reconsider.
After making headlines with their 2-1 win over Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu last year, Sheriff has experience of causing upsets.
Here’s everything you need to know about Man United’s opponents on Thursday, including their names, current whereabouts and potential threats to Erik ten Hag’s side.
Manchester United News: Who are FC Sheriff Tiraspol?
Sheriff plays in the Moldovan Super League, the top division of the country’s football league system. The club is located in Tiraspol, a city in the unrecognized breakaway state of Transnistria.
Although the club was established in 1997, it has had a very successful career, winning 20 league championships in the last 25 years, as well as 11 Moldovan Cups and 7 Moldovan Super Cups. Still, they haven’t since 2016.
Although it has played all its European games this season at the 10,400 capacity Zimbru Stadium in Chisinau, home to Zimbru Chisinau and the Moldova national team, due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the club plays its home games at the stadium with capacity for 12,746 spectators. Sheriff’s Stadium in Tiraspol.
Recent Results
Sheriff was declared champion last season after leading the division by six points with 22 wins from 28 games, losing just twice all season. They have won 20 of the previous 22 Moldovan Super League championships, including the last seven. To achieve the double, they also won the Moldavian Cup.
They have only reached the Europa League group stage in European play, with their first appearance coming during the 2009-10 season, however they have never gotten past that point.
However, last season, they made their first appearance in the Champions League group stage. They defeated Shakhtar Donetsk and 14-time champion Real Madrid in their first two games. However, a draw and three defeats saw them finish third in a group that also included Inter Milan.
current campaign
With five wins, two draws, 14 goals scored and only three goals allowed in their first seven games of the season, Sheriff leads the Moldovan Super League with 17 points.
Their 2021-22 championship earned them a place in this season’s Champions League qualifying round, where they beat Bosnian champions Zrinjski before defeating Slovenian champions Maribor in the second round, both wins by an aggregate score of 1- 0.
Viktoria Plzen, national champion of the Czech Republic, ended her hopes in the third round. They defeated Armenian champions Pyunik in a two-leg playoff to earn a place in the Europa League group stage. The following week, they defeated Omonia Nicosia 3-0 in their opening match.
one is to look
Former Croatian international Stjepan Tomas is Sheriff’s manager. Tomas played for teams like Dinamo Zagreb, Fenerbahce, Galatasaray and Rubin Kazan throughout his 16-year career. He played 49 games for his nation between 1998 and 2006.
The team now has no household names, with only goalkeepers Dumitru Celeadnic and Serghei Pascenco hailing from Moldova. The other players come from 18 different countries as a result of a high player turnover in recent years.
Brazilian players Heron, Pernambuco and Felipe Vizeu, who came over the summer, are among those to watch. Other recent additions like Rasheed Akanbi, Steve Ambri and Iyayi Atiemwen are also worth a look, who have combined for 11 goals so far this season.
