BELARUSIAN PREMIER LEAGUE WEEKEND FIXTURES AND PREVIEW

PREMIER LEAGUE 

Friday 3rd July
Slavia Mozyr v Slutsk - 3pm 
Smolevichy-STI v Dinamo Brest - 5pm 

Saturday 4th July 
BATE v Energetyk-BGU - 2pm 
Gorodeya v Vitebsk - 4pm 
Neman Grodno v Isloch - 6pm 

Sunday 5th July
FC Minsk v Belshina - 2pm 
Torpedo BelAZ v Shakhtyor - 4pm 
Rukh Brest v Dynamo Minsk - 6pm 

There are some fantastic games coming up this weekend in the Belarusian Premier League with the stand out ones being BATE (1st) v Energetyk-BGU (5th) and Neman Grodno (3rd) v Isloch (8th) on Saturday along with the game of the weekend on Sunday when Torpedo Belaz Zhodino (4th) welcome Shakhtyor Soligorsk (2nd). 

This the fourth meeting of the 2020 season between Torpedo and Shakhtyor - Shakhtyor won the two cup games 0-1 and and 2-0 with Torpedo winning the league game at Shakhtyor in March with a very late Gabriel Ramos goal. 

At the bottom of the table I'd say every game between now and the end of the season is now must win for Belshina Bobruisk - They go to third bottom FC Minsk on Sunday who will be in a more confident mood following their 1-1 draw with second placed Shakhtyor last weekend. Aside from their 6-1 defeat at Dynamo Brest they have been improved at the back of late losing their previous two games prior to the Shakhtyor match by just 1-0 to Vitebsk and Isloch. 

The BATE v Energetyk-BGU game is an interesting one with BATE losing to Dynamo Minsk at the weekend and Energetyk ending a run of four games without a win by thrashing Slavia Mozyr 5-0 - they to have been decent in defence letting in just two goals in their last four games. BATE have let in six goals in their last four games. 

Energetyk famously won the opening game of the season against BATE by a scoreline of 3-1 with Jasurbek Yaxshiboev scoring twice. Could they do the double over BATE? 

BATE won the game at the Borisov Arena last season by 4-1 scoring all four goals in the opening half an hour of the game. 

FIRST LEAGUE 

Saturday 4th July 
Smorgon v Lokomotiv Gomel - 3pm 
Volna v Naftan - 3.30pm 
Oshmyany v Gomel - 4pm 
Orsha - Sputnik - 5pm 

Sunday 5th July
Slonim v Krumkachy - 3pm 
Granit v Khimik Svetlogorsk - 4pm 
Lida v Arsenal - 5pm 

SECOND LEAGUE 

GROUP A 
Baranovichi - Ostrovets 
Ivatsevichi - Stenles Pinsk 
Dinamo Malorita - Pershiy Regien
BGU Minsk - Chayka Zelva 
Kronon - Molodechno 

GROUP B 
SMI Autotrans - Zhlobin 
Gorki - Polotsk 
Viktoriya Maryina Horka - Bumprom 
Osipovichy - Dnepr Rogachev 
DNEPR Mogilev - Shakhtyor Petrikov 

In Group B of the Second League it's the game of the season so far as DNEPR Mogilev host Shakhtyor Petrikov - both teams have played and won seven games so far with DNEPR scoring 37 goals and letting in just 2 compared to Petrikov on goals for 35 and goal against 5. 

For those not in the know DNEPR Mogilev are a team reformed in 2020 after the club merged with Luch Minsk in 2019 following their relegation from the Premier League to form Dnyapro Mogilev who played for one season in 2019 Premier League. Shakhtyor Petrikov are the 'B team' of Shakhtyor Soligorsk - I can't tell you much more about them other than that.