BATE Borisov vs Sheriff Tiraspol Prediction & Betting Tips - Europa League

Prediction published on 15/08/2023, 06:15  by Devesh Jaganath | Modified on 15/08/2023 at 10:36 in Europa League Predictions

BATE Borisov will attempt to overturn a four-goal deficit against Sheriff Tiraspol in the second leg of the UEFA Europa League third qualifying round on Thursday evening. The winner of this tie will face either KI Klaksvik or Molde in the playoffs. Sheriff currently leads the tie 5-1 with goals by David Akpan Anyeke (2), Cedric Badolo (1), and Mono Yansane (2) in the first leg. Sheriff were knocked out of the Champions League qualifiers by Maccabi Haifa two weeks ago. In that encounter, they were 2-0 up early in the second leg but were reduced to nine men in regulation time and conceded two in extra time, which saw them exit the tournament. They come into this match following a 2-0 win over Spartanii Selemet in the Super Liga, where they currently lead the league with two wins in two matches so far. Sheriff finished third in the group stages of this competition last season behind Real Sociedad and Manchester United. They reached the last 16 in the Conference League thereafter and were knocked out by Nice. With a commanding lead, they are heavily fancied to progress to the next round. 

Meanwhile, BATE have a mountain to climb in this match, managing just a single goal in response to their opponent's five in the first leg. Sidi Bane found the net in the second half with the only shot on target the Belarusian side managed across the entire 90 minutes. Like their opponents, BATE were involved in Champions League qualification in the last few weeks. They overcame Partizani Tirana 3-1 on aggregate in the first qualifying round but were comprehensively beaten by Aris Limassol in the second round 11-5 on aggregate. Their struggles have not been confined to the European competitions. They are currently seventh in their domestic league with 22 points after 14 matches, already 14 points behind the league leaders, though they do have two games in hand. BATE will have to throw absolutely everything they have at Sheriff in this one, and while winning the tie seems unlikely, a win in this match is certainly not out of the question.