Erik ten Hag cannot give Moldova fans what they want as Manchester United break new ground

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

When it comes to European football there are few worlds left for Manchester United to conquer, but this week in Moldova is new territory for a club that has seen it all and won the lot.

This is the 33rd UEFA member country that United have played a competitive game in, although they would rather not have deviated from Europe's west-leaning Champions League to do so. Another campaign in the Europa League has at least allowed United's followers to break new ground, registering a new stamp in the passport and a new stadium to visit.

It is Chisinau, rather than the breakaway region of Transnistria, that this game is being played, but Sheriff Tiraspol have shown they are no pushovers. They aren't particularly popular in Moldova outside of their enclave on the Ukrainian border — hence the decision to move the game to the capital — but they have put football in this country on the map.

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Champions in 20 of the last 22 domestic seasons, they beat Real Madrid in the Bernabeu in last season's Champions League. The club is bankrolled by Sheriff, a company with business interests in several industries in Transnistria. The region is legally part of Moldova, but considers itself a breakaway state, backed by a Russian-controlled government in Tiraspol.

Rather than playing home games in their 12,700 capacity home ground - unsurprisingly called Sheriff Stadium - they have been forced to relocate for this European run. They will play United at the Zimbru Stadium in the capital Chisinau, a ground that holds 8,800 supporters and is an hour and 20 minutes away by car.

Sheriff finalised their preparations for the game in Tiraspol on Wednesday and will journey to the capital