Belarus Football 2021 – Week 24

September 24, 25 & 26, 2021

Following their loss at the weekend at BATE, Shakhtyor coach Sergei Gurenko left the club, with Alexei Baga, who won the 2018 title at BATE and the 2020 Lithuanian championship with FK Zalgiris, announced as his successor. Shakhtyor played one of their games in hand in midweek, and registered a steady, but unspectacular 2-0 home win over Energetik. As a result they re-took top spot from BATE.

However, it’s still another potentially pivotal weekend in 2021 season as Shakhtyor face a tough fixture with in-form Neman, whilst BATE visit fourth place Rukh. Dinamo Minsk should strengthen their position with a win over doomed Smorgon and Gomel will also fancy their chances against Dinamo Brest, who are on a rocky run.

Meanwhile, there is a crunch game at the bottom where FK Minsk desperately need to arrest their slide but defeat to Slutsk would see them slip to fourth from bottom and in jeopardy from a revived Slavia side.

FK Gomel vs Dinamo Brest ( Friday @ 18.00 UK time )

Gomel are unbeaten at home, whereas Dinamo have lost four of their last 6 matches. Gomel to maintain their push for Europe. 2-0

Result 0-0. If there can be such a thing as an entertaining goal-less draw this was pretty much close to it. The pattern of the match was mostly Dinamo’s disciplined and well organized defence attempting to stop Gomel’s free-flowing moves, and to that extent they were successful.

Dinamo created nothing of note in the first half but Gomel fashioned two great opportunities. In the 18^th minute Borodin headed just wide when he really ought to have hit the target, and 6 minutes before the break Gomza’s incisive through ball put Solovei clear but Gomel’s leading marksman shot wide.

Dinamo had a good spell at the beginning of the second period, Nunke played in Oreshkevich but his effort with the outside of his foot hit the base of the post and went wide, and Gomel somehow kept out a goalmouth scramble at the cost of a corner.

The pattern from the first half resumed thereafter and in the 63^rd minute, Vasyliev’s header was pawed away by keeper Stepanov. Almost immediately Pobudey was played in but steered his effort wide from 12 yards, and Nekrasov shot across the goal and wide.

Dinamo should have taken the lead against the run of play with 13 minutes remaining when Yudenkov’s poor pass was intercepted by Bilanyki who raced clear on goal but his shot was saved by keeper Ivanenko’s legs

Gomel pressed for a late winner but Solovei was denied by a fantastic save from Stepanov

FK Isloch Minsk vs Torpedo BelAZ Zhodino ( Saturday @ 12.00 UK time )

Torpedo have lost four of their last five, with just a win against a Minsk side on an even worse run. Isloch were unfortunate to lose at Dinamo, after beating in-form Neman and drawing with BATE. 2-0

Result : 0-0. Unlike Gomel vs Dinamo Brest, this wasn’t a good 0-0 but it was a fair reflection of the game. Torpedo were the slightly better side in the first half, although Dmitry Lisakovich hit the bar for Isloch. The home side were the slightly better side in the second half, but Torpedo had the best two chances. Samiev headed wide when he looked certain to score, and Astakhov shot over from 6 yards.

FK Minsk vs FK Slutsk ( Saturday @ 14.00 UK time )

Slutsk have taken 7 points from their last 5 matches which is 7 points more than Minsk from their last 6 matches, in which they have scored one goal. 0-1

Result : 2-1. A massive win for Minsk, which should go a long way to ensuring their safety for next season. Slutsk though will be ruing a missed opportunity to moving further away from the danger zone, and the result was harsh on them.

Minsk started brightly and Ostroukh had a shot blocked after good play by Shramchenko and Lopez, then Chagovets headed against the bar. Slutsk then started to get on top and Potapenko twice came close and Butarevich headed narrowly wide.

Slutsk continued in the same vein at the start of the second half and after Vejko’s shot was tipped over the bar, Butarevich glanced home Kontsedailov’s corner to give Slutsk the lead in the 54^th minute.

It looked like Slutsk would ease to victory but out of nothing Yarotski beat Bylinkin at near post to head Alyseiko’s cross for the equaliser in the 74^th minute. Although Klochkov forced a good save Prishivalko, it was Minsk who finished the strongest. In added on time Evdokimov ran onto a long ball, flicked it over Gomelko as the keeper attempted a diving header to clear, but Bylinkin just managed to beat Evdokimov the ball before he could slide it home. However, Bogomolskiy’s 20 yard drive into the top corner in the 94^th minute was worthy to win any game.

Rukh Brest vs BATE Borisov ( Saturday @ 18.00 UK time )

A crunch game at the top. Rukh are unbeaten in 13 matches and are unbeaten at home. BATE have only lost one away match ( at Shakhtyor ), and are unbeaten in their last 6 in total, but that run includes three draws. 2-1

Result : 2-2. A result that did little to help either side’s hopes of winning the title but BATE will be kicking themselves for not taking all three points.

Although Laptev and Grichikho missed good chances for Rukh, BATE fully deserved to be leading 2-0 at the interval. After a number of near misses, and Signevich hitting the post with diving header, centre-back Jakov Filipovic opened the scoring by rising the highest to head home a corner. Gromyko doubled the lead just before the break, smashing home a left-footed volley after Pavlyuchenko had saved from Signevich.

BATE had chances to add a third goal but somehow Rukh survived and the home side got a foothold back in the game in the 59^th minute when Bakaj sent a free-kick into the corner of the goal, although there had to be questions over either the positioning of the wall or the keeper.

BATE should have closed out the game when they were awarded a penalty with just under 15 minutes to play, Noyok’s clumsy challenge brought down Gromyko. However, Signevich’s penalty was well saved by Pavlyuchenko.

Almost immediately, Rukh went down to the other end of the pitch and Grichikho’s pass released Kontsevoy to steer home an unlikely equalizer. With a draw of no use to either side, both teams pressed for a winning goal, and although the best chances fell to Rukh, no doubt to the delight of Shakhtyor and Dinamo Minsk, neither side could force a goal.

FK Smorgon vs Dinamo Minsk ( Sunday @ 14.00 UK time )

Away banker. Dinamo could be right in the mix with a win over condemned Smorgon. 0-3

Result : 0-5. An embarrassingly easy victory for Dinamo, and Smorgon have lost 0-5 in both their matches since coach Gerashenko was removed.

Dinamo had to wait until the 14^th minute to take the lead, when some trickery from Putilo enabled him to get to the by-line, and his cross was turned in at far post by the unmarked Poe. The same two players combined 10 minutes later to give Poe a simple finish for his second.

Bakhar prodded home a third just before half-time after some clever footwork by Lozhkin, and Dinamo added two more in the second half through Latykhov and Demchenko, who both scored their first goals for the club.

Energetik BGU Minsk vs FK Vitebsk @ 16.00 UK time )

A tough one to call as both sides have struck a bit of form. Vitebsk have won 3 of their last 4, and have started scoring goals. Energetik’s young side continue to improve and their two Uzbek forwards look to settling in. 1-1

Result : 2-2. An entertaining match which could have gone either way, but in the end a draw was probably a fair result.

Vitebsk started strongly and Teverov had two good chances early on, before Energetik gifted the visitors the lead in the 18^th minute. Girs’ sloppy pass out of defence was intercepted by Ksenofontov, who then received a return pass to produce clever finish to the far corner.

Vitebsk could have doubled their lead in the 34^th minute when Rassadkin ran onto a ball over the top but Energetik’s keeper managed to get a partial block for a corner. It was against the run of play when Ubaydullaev’s spectactular bicycle kick gave Energetik an equalizer three minutes before the break.

Energetik enjoyed a good spell start of second half and Papariga saw a shot well saved. However, Vitebsk regained the lead in the 64^th minute after Rassadkin ran through but had his shot saved by Makavchik. Ksenofontov was on hand though to turn the ball into the net for his second goal despite two desperate dives to make a block.

Teverov could have settled the match in the 72^nd minute after being played in but his poor control let him down and Makavchik was able to narrow the angle and save.

Vitebsk were made to pay for that miss in the first minute of added on time, as Papariga remarkably scored from narrow angle close to the touch line but it looked like really poor keeping by Soroko. It could have been even worse for Vitebsk a minute later when Ubaydullaev’s long range free kick was fumbled onto the bar by Soroka, Glinsliy’s attempted clearance hit the post, but eventually Vitebsk cleared to hang onto a point.

Shakhtyor Soligorsk vs Neman Grodno ( Sunday @ 18.30 UK time )

With 5 wins from their last 6, Neman will be a stern test for the spluttering champions who prior to their mid-week game against Energetik had suffered two consecutive defeats, without scoring, after previously being unbeaten all season. The win over Energetik put Shakhtyor back to the top, but they were far from impressive. 0-0

Result : 1-0. Shakhtyor edged closer to retaining their title with a narrow victory over a battling Neman side. Neman had the best chance of the first half but Gutor made a flying save to keep out Sadovichniy’s header.

For Shakhtyor, Darboe missed a header on the 6 yard box in the 58^th minute which he probably would have scored it earlier in the season, and as the minutes ticked by it seemed ever more likely that Shakhtyor would be dropping more points. However, the champions created a fabulous move out of keeping with the rest of the game, as Stasevich played a lovely pass to release Darboe and his first time cross from the left was met by Okeuhie to head home the match winner.

Neman pressed for an equalizer and although there were a couple of scrambles and Myzgin hit the top of the crossbar, Shakhtyor held out for the three points.

Summary :

FK Gomel 0-0 Dinamo Brest ( att : 5,500 )
FK Isloch Minsk 0-0 Torpedo BelAZ Zhodino ( att : 114 )
FK Minsk 2-1 FK Slutsk ( att : 110 )
Rukh Brest 2-2 BATE Borisov ( att : 985 )
FK Smorgon 0-5 Dinamo Minsk ( att : 1,622 )
Energetik BGU Minsk 2-2 FK Vitebsk ( att : 50 )
Shakhtyor Soligorsk 1-0 Neman Grodno ( att : 550 )

Highlights : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vj-ZEfJFTOQ

Comments

After two hard fought home wins, Shakhtyor have taken huge strides in the defence of their title, and now lead the table by 4 points and with two games in hand. Under the guidance of new coach Alexei Baga, it’s hard to see the Miners slipping up from this position and if they can avoid defeat at Dinamo Minsk next weekend their odds will reduce even further.

The draw between Rukh and BATE also aided Shakhtyor’s cause and effectively ended Rukh’s hopes of winning the league as they now sit in 4^th place 8 points off the lead having played two games more. BATE will regret letting a two goal lead slip, and must be aiming to win all their remaining matches and hope Shakhtyor fail to gather 14 more points from their last 8 games.

Dinamo Minsk are five points behind Shakhtyor but with two more games played and have a tough looking run-in. They will have to beat Shakhtyor, BATE and Rukh if they are to win the league so a top 3 finish and European football is perhaps a more realistic aim.

Gomel’s home draw with Dinamo Brest left them 6 points off third placed Dinamo Minsk, but they have a game in hand. That game though, is against Shakhtyor. Vitebsk continue to be the best of the rest, being 2 points in front of Dinamo Brest in sixth place.

At the bottom, anyone from 8^th placed Energetik down still have some work to do to avoid the relegation play-off place. FK Minsk ended their appalling run with a home win over Slutsk to give themselves some breathing space. For Slutsk, it was a missed opportunity and they should have taken something from that game. With Slavia receiving the default win over Sputnik, the gap between Slutsk and Slavia is now just one point and the Mozyr side have a game in hand, which is at 12^th placed Torpedo.

After a run of competitive performances, Smorgon’s decision to change their coach has backfired with two 0-5 losses, and it is inevitable that they will be playing football in the Pershaya Liga next season.

In the 7 matches, there were  17 goals, no red cards and no penalties.