June 12, 13, & 14, 2020
Another fascinating weekend of football in prospect with potentially the pivotal match of the season so far taking place on Sunday evening between BATE
Borisov and Shakhtyor Soligorsk, the top two in the table. In addition, there
is also third versus fifth when Torpodo meet Dinamo Brest, and fourth placed
Energetik face rock bottom Belshina in the expectation of keeping the pressure
on at the top of the table.
Resurgent Smolevichy face a Neman side eyeing a
place in the top of the table shake-out and there is also a Minsk derby to look
forward to.
FK Minsk vs FK Isloch Minsk ( Friday at 16.00 UK
time )
Two middling sides who share the same stadium so neither
should be adversely affected by the match being played in the Traktor Stadium
rather than FK Minsk’s artificial grass pitch. Isloch’s dire away record should
not be factor. Could go either way. 1-1
Result : 0-1. An entertaining match was decided when Yansane nipped ahead of Ryzhuk and was then brought down by the clumsy challenge, and Komarovskiy smashed home the penalty. Minsk slip to third from bottom.
FK Gorodeya vs FK Slutsk ( Friday at 18.00 UK time
)
Both sides are in a bad patch, Slutsk have gone 5
games without a win and Friday night specialists Gorodeya’s 7 winless matches has left them third from
bottom. It should be a tight, dour match. 1-1
Result : 3-0. If any further confirmation were needed that Slutsk are not a top of the table side it was provided here with a toothless display which saw Gorodeya easily record a much needed win, and the margin could have been wider. Arkhipov scored twice for Gododeya, Slutsk badly missed Yuri Kozlov.
Neman Grodno vs FK Smolevichy STI ( Saturday at 14.00
UK time )
Smolevichy will be bouyed by their first win last week, but Neman have won 3 on the trot to move into the top half of the table. Neman’s run to continue. 2-1
Smolevichy will be bouyed by their first win last week, but Neman have won 3 on the trot to move into the top half of the table. Neman’s run to continue. 2-1
Result : 2-0.
Neman struggled to breakdown a competitive Smolevichy side until Zhukovskiy's long range left-footed effort went in off the post in the 68th minute. Yablonski wrapped up the win 2 minutes from time. Neman move upto sixth.
Torpedo BelAZ Zhodino vs Dinamo Brest ( Saturday at
16.00 UK time )
Third plays fifth, but Dinamo are playing the best
football. At home though, Torpedo have taken 13 points out of 15, conceding only twice. However,
Dinamo desperately need a win and if they reproduce the dazzling form
shown against FK Minsk last week they might get it. 1-2
Result : 0-2. Two goals in two minutes midway set-up the victory that keeps Dinamo rising up the table. Without Ramos, Torpedo offer litte although Veloso's long range shot dip clip the top of the bar. Card happy ref Denis Shcherbakov returns to form by sending of Dinamo's Kiki for two yellows and moments later then incredibly awarded a yellow card and penalty when in a delayed reaction after the Brest keeper gathered a cross, Premudrov collasped to the floor pretending that he has been kneeed in the chest by the keeper. Disgraceful acting by the player and disgraceful refereeing to fall for it. Justice was done when Veloso's weak penalty was easily saved by Pavlyuchenko.
Dinamo Minsk vs FK Slavia Mozyr ( Saturday at 18.00 UK time )
Both sides are showing variable form, Dinamo are
3-0-3 at home whilst Slavia are 3-0-3 away. At times Dinamo have been
impressive at home, so they may take advantage of Slavia’s sometimes leaky defence.
2-1
Result : 1-0. Dinamo strengthed their squad with 3 new signings but none of them figured into today's squad. An uneventful match was decided in the 36th minute by Shikavka's acrobatic bicycle kick from just outside the penalty area. In response Slavia created very little. Referee Stetsurin followed up last week's good performance with just 3 yellow cards today.
Energetik BGU Minsk vs Belshina Bobruisk ( Sunday
at 14.00 UK time )
Energetik’s attacking play should pose too many
problems for doomed Belshina. 3-0
Result : 0-1. Shock of the day as Kovel's close range header gave Belshina their first win of the season. Energetik had no luck, hitting the woodwork three times, had a goal disallowed, missed a stack of chances and had to play the last 15 minutes with 10 men after a nasty head injury to Musahagian and all their substitutions had been used.
Rukh Brest vs FK Vitebsk ( Sunday at 16.00 UK time )
Rukh Brest vs FK Vitebsk ( Sunday at 16.00 UK time )
Two sides playing attractive football but without always
the end product they deserve. Likely to be close. 1-1
Result : 0-1. A professional job on the road by Vitebsk. After Nicolaescu's early header, there were very few chances created, and the game was effectively finished as a contested with 25 minutes left following the second yellow card fro Rukh's Kovtun.
BATE Borisov vs Shakhtyor Soligorsk ( Sunday at 18.00
UK time )
The match of the season so far, between two in-form
sides who have been playing the most enterprising football so
far this season. Whilst the result of this game will not determine the outcome
of the championship, it may provide some key pointers. Shakhtyor have kept 10
clean sheets out of 12, conceding zero away from home, and in Lisakovich have the league’s inform striker. However,
they will all have to be at their best to get something from BATE. 0-0
Result : 2-2. A humdinger ! Ivanovic's glancing header gave Shakhtyor the lead in the 8th minute.which they held to half-time as BATE pressed but Shakhtyor looked dangerous on the break. In a physical game, the referee did a good job in trying to let the game flow rather than whistling for every single contact like some of the other referees in Belarus.
BATE appeared to have found a weakness in Shakhtyor's previously impregnible defence and played direct football in the second half, getting the ball forward early and looking to put crosses into the Shakhtyor penalty box. The tactic seemed to have succeeded as first Nekhaychik was on hand to put away Nastic's cross and then Skavysh lost his marker to powerfully head home Stastevich's corner with 12 minutes left on the clock. Three minutes later, Bodul's clever back-heel ran into the penalty area. BATE keeper Chichkan came off his line to gather but looked to had already lost control of the ball by the time Szoke and a defender slid into him. The loose ball was tapped into the open goal by Podstrelov for 2-2. BATE were furious and their coach saw yellow and one of his assistants received a red card. Had their been VAR the goal probably would not have stood. Skavysh missed a great chance to win the game for BATE in injury time but overall though a draw was probably a fair result.
BATE appeared to have found a weakness in Shakhtyor's previously impregnible defence and played direct football in the second half, getting the ball forward early and looking to put crosses into the Shakhtyor penalty box. The tactic seemed to have succeeded as first Nekhaychik was on hand to put away Nastic's cross and then Skavysh lost his marker to powerfully head home Stastevich's corner with 12 minutes left on the clock. Three minutes later, Bodul's clever back-heel ran into the penalty area. BATE keeper Chichkan came off his line to gather but looked to had already lost control of the ball by the time Szoke and a defender slid into him. The loose ball was tapped into the open goal by Podstrelov for 2-2. BATE were furious and their coach saw yellow and one of his assistants received a red card. Had their been VAR the goal probably would not have stood. Skavysh missed a great chance to win the game for BATE in injury time but overall though a draw was probably a fair result.
Summary :