We have now had two full rounds of games in the Champions League group stage and without a doubt, the biggest story of the competition so far is debutants Sheriff Tiraspol, who are the first Moldovan team to ever feature in the group stage of the competition.
You would be forgiven for not knowing much about the Moldovan team before this season’s competition.
⚽️✍️... pic.twitter.com/KgnTC1RVsy— FC Sheriff (@FotclubSheriff) September 28, 2021
⚽️✍️... pic.twitter.com/KgnTC1RVsy
However, everybody now seems to know their name after they recorded a sensational last-gasp 2-1 win at Spanish giants Real Madrid on Tuesday night.
No doubt the result is likely to go down in the annals of history as one of the biggest shocks of the competition in recent years.
The win is not Sheriff’s first in this season’s group stage, though, as they opened their campaign with a 2-0 win over Champions League veteran’s Shakhtar Donetsk in gameweek one.
For some, they were just there to make up the numbers in a group that also involves Italian champions Inter. Some would have expected the debutants to be whipping boys in the group.
However, two straight wins have given them solid foundations to qualify for the last-16 of the competition, which would be a massive achievement for everybody involved at the club.
There have been observers who have criticised the lack of Moldovan players within the ranks at the club. That would be a harsh criticism considering that the club was only founded 24 years ago.
The game is a diverse one and all of Europe’s top teams now field players from all over the globe.
For Sheriff to have a record of two wins out of two in such a tough group is simply unbelievable.
However, it is a reality that the Champions League new boys have given themselves a chance of qualifying for the group stages, ahead of far more high-profile opposition and it is what football should be all about.