Sheriff vs Maccabi Tel Aviv Prediction: Stalemate expected in Moldova

Sheriff Tiraspol managed to scrape their way past Aluminij to book their place in the second qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League last week. The Moldovan side will now face Maccabi Tel Aviv and they will host the first leg on Thursday (8pm local time/6pm BST).

Read on for my Sheriff vs Maccabi Tel Aviv predictions, alongside the latest match odds from Betfred and team news.

Team News

Sheriff striker Jayder Asprilla has bagged five goals in four league appearances this term but he's yet to translate his skills onto the European stage. He's set to lead the line for the hosts on Thursday.

As he's the only player with more than one goal this term, it's no wonder Sheriff managed just one strike in the first round. Winger Sapata has scored once but he has registered two assists, so his creativity will be key in this tie.

The hosts have no injury concerns heading into this fixture.

Dor Peretz and Ido Shahar scored 19 and 13 league goals respectively for Maccabi Tel Aviv in 2025/26, so they have a lot more firepower to offer in this contest.

Sayed Abu Farchi netted a brace in their Israel Super Cup victory against Hapoel, so he's also a threat that the hosts need to watch out for.

Sheriff vs Maccabi Tel Aviv Odds

Sheriff are deemed a 23/10 shot to win this home leg, but Betfred is leaning towards the away side, with 11/10 the price for a Maccabi Tel Aviv victory.

The draw is available at 2/1, while Both Teams To Score - Yes can be backed at 11/10.

Match Result: Draw @ 2/1

I think the stalemate is generously-priced at 2/1 on Thursday given the hosts are eight games unbeaten. The visitors have gone three competitive matches without defeat and I have highlighted that they have more players who can deliver the goods in front of goal.

But I think this will play into Sheriff's approach. They'll want to be tough to break down and they did keep clean sheets in both legs in the previous round. This could play out like a bit of a chess match, and so the draw offers good value to punters.

Total Goals: Under 2.5 @ 8/15

Having read my reasons for the draw, you won't be surprised to see me tip a low-scoring contest in Tiraspol. Under 2.5 Goals has been a winning selection in seven of Sheriff's last 10 outings in all competitions.

This included both legs against Aluminij in the first qualifying round. Maccabi travel here with more attacking threat and I believe Sheriff's game plan will be to try and nullify the visitors by being resilient defensively.

As such, I think this will lead to a shortage of goals.