Belarusian Premier League: season so far, betting analysis and free tips

Free football tips, best bets and analysis for Energetic-BDU v BATE Borisov and Shakhtyor Soligorsk v Torpedo Zhodina in the Belarusian Premier League.

When to bet by

Energetic-BDU v BATE Borisov, 2pm Thursday

Shakhtyor Soligorsk v Torpedo Zhodina, 4pm Thursday

Best bets

BATE to win and both teams to score
1pt 2-1 bet365

Shakhtyor win to nil
1pt 5-4 bet365

Where in the world is it and what tier of football?

This is the 30th season of the Belarusian Premier League. Dynamo Brest, the most south-westerly club in the country, are the defending champions after claiming their maiden title in 2019 to end BATE Borisov’s 13-year winning streak.

Belshina Bobruisk were promoted as First League champions, as were runners-up FC Smolevichi and playoff winners FC Rukh Brest.

What's happened so far this year?

Champions Dynamo Brest have carried on where they left off by beating Shakhtyor Soligorsk 2-0 to win the Super Cup. They did so despite playing for 40 minutes with ten men.

Six days later – and to prove their indiscipline wasn’t a one-off – they had two men sent off in the first leg of their Belarusian Cup quarter-final against Isloch, who also finished with nine. The match ended 0-0, and so did the second leg with Brest going through on penalties.

In the other quarter-finals BATE beat Dinamo Minsk 5-3 on aggregate, Shakhtyor beat Torpedo Zhodina 3-0 on aggregate and Slavia Mazyr were given a walkover.

Who is the top goalscorer?

Ilya Shkurin of Energetik-BDU Minsk with 19 goals, a haul which earned him a move to CSKA Moscow. Runner-up Stanislav Dragun (14) is still at BATE.

Are there any trends to follow?

Of the 240 matches played in last season’s Premier League, 116 (or 48 per cent) produced under 2.5 goals.

Despite that, there were 631 goals scored at 2.63 per match, the highest goals-per-game ratio since 2005.

Any famous faces?

Arsenal fans will remember BATE’s Stanislav Dragun, who scored the winner when the Gunners were stunned in Borisov in the Europa League in 2018-19.

Chelsea supporters will have fonder memories of new Brest defender Yevgen Khacheridi, sent off for hacking down Olivier Giroud during PAOK’s 4-0 pummelling at the Bridge in the same season’s competition.

Give us a fun fact

Dynamo Brest boss Sergei Kovalchuk joined the club as a player in 1996 – and has never left them. He spent eight years as a player, joined the coaching staff, even became sports director, and is now in his fourth stint as first-team boss.

Match previews

Energetic-BDU v BATE Borisov

Deposed champions BATE will be desperate to regain their crown from Dynamo Brest, although they don’t have the easiest opener at entertainers Energetik-BGU.

BATE are into the Cup semis after beating Dinamo Minsk over two legs but they weren’t convincing.

They do boast colossal experience – Dmitri Baga is one of six Belarus internationals over the age of 30 who have started the season – and they also boast an excellent head-to-head record against Energetik. Last season’s two showdowns yielded 4-0 and 4-1 wins for the boys from Borisov.

Goals can be expected once more since Energetik don’t seem to have changed in pre-season.

Their matches last season averaged 3.93 goals per game and pre-season has been every bit as free-scoring.

The 66 goals they conceded last term was the worst record in the division (BATE had the best with 21) and they won only four of 15 in front of their own fans.

Shakhtyor Soligorsk v Torpedo Zhodina

A formguide for Shakhtyor’s opener at home to Torpedo Zhodina isn’t hard to find – they’ve just met twice in the quarter-finals of the Belarusian Cup.

Shakhtyor won in Zhodina 1-0 thanks to a goal from one-time Dundee United forward Darko Bodul and then triumphed 2-0 at home thanks to a late brace from new striker Yuri Kendysh.

That was Shakhtyor’s third game of the season after losing the Super Cup to Dynamo Brest 2-0, a match they bossed in terms of possession after the champions were reduced to ten men.

At home last season Shakhtyor were outstanding with 12 wins and two draws from their 15 league matches. It was the best home record in the division and enabled them to finish third in the league.

Torpedo ended up in sixth but aren’t in the greatest shape. They finished last term on a run of just one win in seven and endured a miserable pre-season.

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