Sheriff Tiraspol holds Aluminij to 0-0 draw in Europa League qualifier

Sheriff Tiraspol and Slovenian cup winners Aluminij played to a goalless draw on 9 July 2024 at the Arena Mare a CS Sheriff in Tiraspol, Moldova. The match, part of the first qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League, saw yellow cards for Bourama Fomba (48') and Jose Hugo Goncalves Flores (90+2') for Sheriff and Matic Vrbanec (46') for Aluminij.

The return leg is scheduled for 16 July at Maribor's Ljudski vrt in Slovenia. If Sheriff advance, they will face Israeli side Maccabi Tel Aviv in the second qualifying round. If they lose, they will drop into the Conference League qualifiers against the winner of the Dinamo City (Albania) – FC Astana (Kazakhstan) tie.

Aluminij become the 15th Slovenian club to appear in European competition since independence, following a successful domestic cup campaign. Their participation marks the first European appearance for the Kidričevo‑based side.

The match featured a blend of local talent and foreign imports on both sides, with Sheriff traditionally fielding many overseas players and Aluminij relying on recent signings such as Bamba Susso and Bede Osuji to bolster their attack.