Local champions Sliema Wanderers will be playing their first qualifying round second leg match against Moldovan champions Sheriff of Tiraspol this evening, starting with a 1-4 deficit after last week’s match in Malta.

It seems as if the Maltese champions have an impossible task to bridge the three-goal gap and go through to the next round.

Sliema will be trying their utmost to emerge with a better performance and result than they did last week in Malta.

Coach Edward Aquilina is expected to start with the same formation which was on duty last week.

The Blues are expected to adopt a cautious approach in the hope of striking on the break in an effort to limit the danger of their opponents who had dominated the match in Malta.

Coaches Edward Aquilina and Hugh Caruana have taken the following 16 players to Tiraspol:

Murphy Akanji, Matthew Camilleri, Alex Muscat, Jeffrey Chetcuti, Mauro DiLello, Lee Lombardi, Brian Said, Noel Turner, Joe Brincat, Stefan Giglio, Joseph Farrugia, Orosco Anonam, Ivan Woods, Danilo Doncic, Daniel Bogdanovic and Adrian Mifsud.

The winner will face Serbia-Montenegro champions FK Partizan in the second qualifying round.

Turkish referee Mustafa Culcu will be controlling the match, with Yasar Ulusoy and Bülent Gökcü as his assistants. Firat Aydinus will be the fourth official.

Tonight’s match in Tiraspol kicks off at 8.30pm.