SOME RANDOM FACTS AND STATS ON THE BELARUSIAN FOOTBALL SEASON SO FAR

RUKH BREST have been somewhat shy of hitting the back of the net but they are also great in defence barring their 1-4 defeat at the weekend against Dynamo Brest. As you can see from the above chart nine out of eleven of their games has resulted in under 2.5 goals scored with secven from eleven under 1.5 goals. Only their 2-4 victory at Neman Grodno and defeat against Dynamo Brest at the weekend have been over 2.5 goals. 

They travel to Isloch this weekend - six of their eleven games played so far have resulted in over 2.5 goals. Will it be a goal-fest or a 0-0 at the Stadyen Traktar?

BATE BORISOV started the season off with two defeats but have since won eight and drawn one of nine league games played. The go to Vitebsk at the weekend who are without a win in six league games but are unbeaten in four games as they have ended all square. 

Vitesbsk's last victory over BATE came in the 2017 season on the 26th May when Anton Manveenko's last minute goal was enough to take home the three points in front of a crowd of 5,350 - since then BATE have won four league games and one has been drawn 1-1. Bet365.com make BATE odd's on favourites at 8/15 with a home victory rated at 9/2 and a draw at 5/2. 

BELSHINA BOBRUISK and SMOLEVICHY-STI are still without a win and are now somewhat cast adrift in the relegation zone with Gorodeya eight points above Smolevichy in fifteenth place and nine points above Belshina in sixteenth place. This makes Friday's game between Smolevichy and Gorodeya a real must win game for the home side. Could they get their first win of the season against a side who are without a win in six games? A home win is 11/8 with the bookies and an away win is 7/4. Belshina who were 2-0 up against Slavia Mozyr at the weekend but eventually lost 2-3 surely must be due some luck soon - they host Dynamo Minsk on Sunday. 

The last time Smolevichy hosted Gorodeya came in the Premier League of 2018 and it was a home win by 2-0 - Terentiy Lutsevich and Artem Vaskov were the scorers. Vaskov is currently win Gomel in the First League but ironically made 17 appearances for Gorodeya in the Premier League last season. 

Lutsevich has had an interesting career having been born in Cameroon but has played for a number of Belarusian clubs including FC Minsk, Dynamo Minsk, Vitebsk and Torpedo Zhodino to name a few. He also has caps at u19 and u21 level for Belarus. He left Gomel after the 2019 season and now plays in Kazakhstan fo FC Kyzylzhar who were promoted to their top division for the 2020 season. 

Those of you who are regular readers may remember me mentioning FK CHAYKA ZELVA who have made a disappointing start to their Second League Group A season. They have lost 2-4, 0-15, 0-1, 0-8, 0-5 and 0-13 as well as a 0-4 Cup defeat against SMI Autotrans. They get a weekend off this weeekend due to that cup loss and are next in action against Dynamo Malorita in the league on the weekend of Saturday 13th June. Dynamo lost their first game but have since won 3-2, 5-1, 3-2 and 3-0.   

Chayka Zelva are known as 'The Seagull Team' and have a unique badge as you can see above. Let's hope they can get a win sooner rather than later!