Moldovan champions Sheriff Tiraspol host French side Nice for the first leg of their Europa Conference League round of 16 tie on Thursday night amid a period of unrest in the region.
Despite having to play their 'home' leg behind closed doors and in a different part of the country, Sheriff advanced past Serbian giants Partizan in the previous knockout round of the competition, while Nice automatically qualified for this stage by finishing top of their Conference League group.
Match preview
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The tie will be held in the Moldovan capital of Chisinau rather than Sheriff's home ground in Transnistria as that area has come under global scrutiny for its role as a strategic stronghold amid the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine - Nice fans have been advised by their own club not to travel.
Sheriff have not played in Tiraspol since October, beating Dacia-Buiucani 2-1 in the Moldovan top flight, with all of the club's European home fixtures held 70km further inland this season.
Playing with these handicaps, Sheriff lost home and away without scoring a goal against Manchester United and Real Sociedad in this season's Europa League group stage but secured a third-place spot, which earned passage into the Conference League by finishing ahead of Cypriot side Omonia.
Roberto Bordin's first match after returning for his second spell as Sheriff manager in January was a 1-0 defeat in front of empty stands in the first leg of the club's Conference League playoff tie against Partizan; the Serbian side took a 2-0 aggregate lead at the start of the second leg, but a Cedric Badolo penalty and a brace from Mouhamed Diop secured a famous turnaround for the wily Italian coach.
Sheriff strolled to a 3-0 win against Dacia-Buiucani in the Moldovan Cup last weekend, but Bordin has not had many chances to see his new side play, with just three competitive matches contested since the World Cup as the national league resumes next weekend.
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Nice shared the same new year's resolution as Sheriff and changed their manager in January, replacing the vastly experienced Lucien Favre - who steered OGC into the Conference League knockout rounds - with the 36-year-old novice Didier Digard.
The surprise appointment of the former midfielder has proved to be a masterstroke, with Nice unbeaten across Digard's nine games, conceding just three goals during this streak.
No club in Ligue 1 had a bigger net spend in the January window than Nice, but there is not always a straight line between money and success, yet Digard has exploited those resources superbly - since his arrival, OGC have collected more points than any other team in the French top flight.
The Cote d'Azur outfit were closer to the relegation zone than the top seven when Digard took over but go into this continental tie just four points off fifth-placed Rennes in Ligue 1's European spots.
Sheriff have a very recent history of success in European competition, famously defeating Real Madrid in the Champions League at the Santiago Bernabeu last season, whereas Nice have not won a European knockout tie since the first round of the now-defunct Cup Winners' Cup in 1997.
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Team News
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Fortunately for Bordin, Sheriff have no outstanding suspensions to be served in the upcoming tie - although, both Moussa Kyabou and Armel Zohouri have been sent off in European competition this season.
The Italian coach rested all 11 players that started against Partizan for the cup clash last weekend, heavily hinting at where the team's priorities lie and who may line up once again on Thursday night.
Nice's Nicolas Pepe has only played two games under Digard but will not be adding to that tally in the near future as he continues to nurse a knee injury.
Doubts linger over the young full-backs Melvin Bard (calf) and Antoine Mendy (ankle), while fellow defender Joe Bryan remains a long-term absentee.
Aaron Ramsey limped off with a hamstring injury in the first half of Nice's victory over Monaco last month and missed Friday's draw with Auxerre, but Digard has been keen to downplay the severity of the strain.
Sheriff Tiraspol possible starting lineup:
Koval; Zohouri, Kiki, Radeljic, Kpozo; Badolo, Kyabou, Diop; Atiemwen, Tapsoba, Akanbi
Nice possible starting lineup:
Schmeichel; Lotomba, Todibo, Dante, Amraoui; Thuram, Rosario, Boudaoui; Laborde, Moffi, Diop
We say: Sheriff Tiraspol 0-1 Nice
This may be Digard's first managerial taste of European football, but the prodigious coach has provided little evidence to suggest his methods will fail, giving Nice a great chance of coming away from this troubled area with a lead before Sheriff travel to the far more hospitable French Riviera next week.
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