FC Torpedo Kutaisi – FC Sheriff Tiraspol Soccer Prediction
FC Torpedo Kutaisi (Georgia) and FC Sheriff Tiraspol (Moldova) will play on Tuesday, July 10, 2018, in the first leg of the Champions League Preliminary Round I, season 2018-2019. The match will take place at the “Tsentraluri” Stadium in Kutaisi from 18:30. The second round will be played on Wednesday, July 18, 2018, at the Sheriff Stadium in Tiraspol at 20:00. The winner of this match will play in the 2nd round with KF Shkëndija (Macedonia) or FC The New Saints (Wales).
FC Torpedo Kutaisi won the title dramatically in the 2017 season, after defeating it in the last stage, away, with a 1-0 win over Dinamo Tbilisi. FC Torpedo Kutaisi had 76 points and Dinamo Tbilisi 75 points. It was the 4th title for the Kutaisi group, after 1999-2000, 2000-2001 and 2001-2002.
This season, the team coached by Kakhaber Chkhetiani is far from the form shown in 2017, after being 18 rounds played, fifth in the Georgian championship. The champion has virtually no chance to defend his title, being 16 points behind FC Saburtalo Tbilisi and 11 points in second place, Dinamo Tbilisi. Torpedo’s score was 8 wins, 3 draws and 7 defeats.
In the Erovnuli League, the “black and white” had two consecutive defeats with FC Chikhura Sachkhere (0-1, away) and FC Saburtalo Tbilisi (1-2 at home) but managed to win the last two matches with FC Sioni Bolnisi 2-1, away) and FC Kolkheti Poti (3-0, home). Internally, all he can get FC Torpedo Kutaisi is to rank third to play in the Europa League in the year, but has to recuperate 7 points against FC Dila Gori, plus the team that is on the 4th place with 31 points, FC Chikhura Sachkhere, also wants the European Cups.
Football Club Sheriff Tiraspol
FC Sheriff Tiraspol won the title without any emotions in the 2017 season, having 45 points in 18 stages, 5 more than the main opponent FC Milsami Orhei. The teams ranked 3rd and 4th, FC Petrocub Sărata-Galbenă and Dacia Chişinău, had 26 points. For FC Sheriff was 16 champion title in history and practically has no opponent in the Moldavian championship.
This season, Victor Guşan’s team is fighting for the title with FC Milsami Orhei. After 14 disputed stages, the Tiraspol group has 33 points, while its opponent has 30 points. There are still 14 more stages to be played, so FC Sheriff has enough time to win the fight with the Orhei team. Sheriff has a larger budget, more valuable players and is expected to tick off the 17th title.
This season, the team coached by Goran Sablić lost one match in the National Division with FC Petrocub Sarata-Galbena (0-1, away) and drew with FC Sfintul Gheorghe Suruceni (2-2 away, FC Speranta Crihana Old (0-0, away) and FC Milsami Orhei (0-0, away). The rest had 10 wins and the goal is 33 to 7. “The yellow-blacks aim to qualify again in the Europe groups League, because it is hard to believe they will have the strength to qualify in the Champions League groups.
Prediction FC Torpedo Kutaisi – FC Sheriff Tiraspol
In the last season of the Europa League, FC Torpedo Kutaisi was shuffled from the first round of AS Trenčín, which was 5-1 in Slovakia and 3-0 in Georgia. FC Sheriff Tiraspol played in the second round with Albanian champion Sheriff Tiraspol, who eliminated it (1-0 and 1-2), but could not pass the second round the Azerbaijan champion, Qarabağ FK (0-0 and 1-2). FC Sheriff Tiraspol reached Group F of the Europa League, where it scored 9 points with Lokomotiv Moscow 11 points and FC København 9 points, but ahead of FC Zlín 2 points. As a European experience, Moldovans, who have 3 qualifications in the Europa League, are far above the Georgians, who have not had a remarkable performance in the European Cups. The Transnistrian team was strengthened this summer with Alexandru Boiciuc (Vejle Boldklub), Jô Santos (CSM Poli Iasi) and Antun Palić (Dinamo Bucharest). FC Torpedo Kutaisi starts second with “Sheriff Tiraspol”, but that does not mean that he can not qualify. The Torpedo has come back a bit in the last two stages and even though it is not as strong as a year ago, I expect it to make a good match, because the players have long wanted to get to the Champions League and certainly assisted by supporters, will evolve with much determination. Sheriff will go to Kutaisi to defend and “draw” an equal result, preferably with goals. A 1-1 would be perfect for Moldovans, who would start in return as big favorites.
Prediction Today: Sheriff Tiraspol DO NOT Win at Kutaisi
Odds: 1.62
