A Fast Start Settles a Tight Tie
Aluminij needed a big night at Ljudski vrt to turn this tie around, and instead they were behind inside five minutes. Sheriff Tiraspol struck early through Loukou Jaures-Ulrich and made it stand up the rest of the way, winning 1-0 on Thursday and taking the whole thing 1-0 on aggregate after a goalless first leg in Moldova.
It wasn’t the start Aluminij were hoping for at all. The first leg in Tiraspol a week earlier had been a cagey, mostly even affair that finished 0-0, giving the Slovenian side a real shot at springing a result back on home turf. That plan lasted about five minutes. Danila Forov slid a pass through for Loukou, and the winger finished calmly to put Sheriff ahead almost before the home crowd had settled into their seats.
Sheriff Dominate, Aluminij Can’t Find a Way Back
From there, the game settled into a familiar shape. Sheriff controlled possession for long stretches — they finished with roughly two-thirds of the ball — and kept Aluminij pinned back for most of the night, racking up corner after corner while the Slovenians struggled to string together anything meaningful going forward. Aluminij picked up bookings as the frustration mounted, with Matic Vrbanec, Vito Tezak and Matija Boben all going into the book across the course of the match, while Sheriff’s Jayder Asprilla also saw yellow late on.
To their credit, Aluminij never stopped trying to find an equaliser, but chances were few and far between against a well-organized Sheriff side content to sit on their lead and pick their moments on the counter. By full time, Sheriff had comfortably outshot the hosts on target, and the closest Aluminij came to changing the story was in flashes rather than any sustained pressure.
What It Means Next
Sheriff Tiraspol move through to the next round of Europa League qualifying on the back of a tie that was ultimately decided by five early minutes in Maribor. For Aluminij, it’s a disappointing end to their European run — they matched Sheriff for large parts of both legs but were undone by a single early goal they could never find an answer for.
Match Summary
Aluminij 0-1 Sheriff (Sheriff win 1-0 on aggregate) UEFA Europa League, First Qualifying Round, 2nd Leg — Ljudski vrt, Maribor, Slovenia Thursday, 16 July 2026 Referee: Anojen Kanagasingam
Goals: 5′ Loukou Jaures-Ulrich (Sheriff) 0-1 (assist: Danila Forov)
Yellow cards: Matic Vrbanec, Vito Tezak, Matija Boben (Aluminij) — Jayder Asprilla (Sheriff)
Stats: Sheriff held roughly 65% possession and led 8-2 on shots on target.
Result: Sheriff Tiraspol advance 1-0 on aggregate to the next round of Europa League qualifying.
For live Europa League qualifying scores and coverage, visit fawanews. Full results and bracket at the official UEFA Europa League website.
