Shakhtyor Soligorsk vs Gomel
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Today’s secondary featured game is the Vysshaya Liga game between Shakhtyor Soligorsk and newly-promoted Gomel. The hosts have their sights set firmly on displacing BATE Borisov from their hold on Belarusian football but as usual, it’s proving to be a nightmare with BATE looking like robots sometimes, such is their efficiency!
However, Shakhtyor Soligorsk battle on and with five wins in eight home games leading them into this encounter, you have to fancy them to maintain their usual. They’re not as deadly in front of goal as title rivals BATE Borisov are, hence them being so far behind BATE, but there is definitely ability in the Alumona-Komarovski partnership up front, especially with youngster Yurchenko trying to force his way in too. It’s helped that Sitko is having the season of his life because alongside him in midfield, we have rough-and-ready Rozhkov, crafty Sokol, and experienced Grenkov, just to name a few. Soligorsk enjoy their strength in midfield and it’s that which tends to win them games. Their defence is dependable and I’d be surprised to see them concede here so the big question for me is whether they’ll score or not. They may have half an eye on the game against FK Ventspils next week but I doubt it – win against Gomel and they’re six points behind BATE Borisov and they have to play them at home yet in the current Vysshaya Liga campaign. Either way, I think Shakhtyor have the ability and the depth to cause problems today so the home win appeals to me here.
Visitors Gomel started this season well and I have an awful lot of respect for them, especially considering the dominant style in which they were promoted last season. Their pre-season transfer activity was very smart and I like the team, to be honest! However, this is one of the few times in the Vysshaya Liga that I expect them to look out of their depth. They’re very good at keeping opposing sides out; it’s their speciality. However, we’ll see just how good they are at the back in the very near future with their next two Vysshaya Liga away games coming against BATE Borisov and Shakhtyor Soligorsk respectively. You’d be pretty crazy to expect them to go to either of those places and not concede but if they do that then I don’t see them getting a point (or even three!) because they don’t have the firepower. You know, Platonov and Zuev are decent enough strikers to keep them in the division but to get points from places like Soligorsk is tough and I just don’t think Gomel have what it takes, stubborn as they are. They remind me a lot of Belshina Bobriusk from last season – unbeatable in the first-half of the campaign, susceptible in the second-half of the campaign as they aren’t great in-depth. Gomel have failed to score in five out of their last seven games with the only two exceptions being a 5-1 rout against Dinamo Minsk (who were massively short on players in that game) and their 1-2 win at Dinamo Brest, which although was impressive, it’s worth noting that Dinamo Brest cannot defend for shit. Gomel are a feisty bunch and they won’t roll over and die here but I think they’ll eventually get caught out and that’ll cost them, in my view.
Shakhtyor Soligorsk are what Gomel are trying to be; untouchable at the back, clinical up front. Gomel are nowhere near as good as Shakhtyor are, however, so if the hosts score then I expect them to hold it. I think it’ll take some time so HT/FT Draw/HW might be worth a cheeky punt but the home win appeals to me at 4/5 today – there’s too big a quality gap to ignore here.
Verdict: Shakhtyor Soligorsk to win at 4/5.
Saturday’s Picks
My tips:
No other singles appeal to me today – sorry guys!
Accumulator fodder:
Maag Tammeka Tartu, Levadia Tallinn.
As ever, if there are any explanations required then please feel free to post a comment! For the remainder of my thoughts on today’s games, see below, although I feel compelled to write that the below are not necessarily my tips but merely my thoughts to prevent endless questions about my thoughts on certain games!
Copa America:
Brazil vs Paraguay (4) 1-1
Venezuela vs Ecuador (6) 1-1
Belarusian Vysshaya Liga:
Dinamo Brest vs Naftan Novopolotsk (4) 2-1
Belshina Bobriusk vs Neman Grodno (6) 1-1
Shakhtyor Soligorsk vs Gomel (7) 1-0
Brazilian Serie A:
Sao Paulo vs Cruzeiro (5) 2-1
Vasco da Gama vs Internacional (5) 2-1
Atletico Paranaense vs Avai (7) 2-1
Estonian Meistriliiga:
Ajax Lasnamae vs Maag Tammeka Tartu (8) over 2.5 goals
Kuressaare vs Levadia Tallinn (8) 0-2
Finnish Veikkausliiga:
Jaro Pietarsaari vs TPS Turku (5) 1-1
Finnish Ykkonen:
FC Espoo vs PoPa Pori (5)
KooTeePee Kotka vs PS Kemi Kings (3)
Icelandic Urvalsdeild:
Breidablik Kopavogur vs Thor Akureyi (6) 1-0
Irish Premier League:
Sligo Rovers vs Drogheda United (7) 2-1
Japanese J-League:
Ventforet Kofu vs Shimizu S-Pulse (6) 1-1
Kawasaki Frontale vs Avispa Fukuoka (7) 2-0
Vissel Kobe vs Nagoya Grampus (5) 0-1
Kashiwa Reysol vs Vegalta Sendai (7) 2-1
Jubilo Iwata vs Yokohama F.Marinos (6) 1-1
Norwegian Eliteserien:
Rosenborg BK vs Stromsgodset (7) 2-1
Singaporean S-League:
Tanjong Pagar vs Gombak United (7) 0-2
Swedish Allsvenskan:
Gefle vs GAIS Goteborg (5) 2-2
IFK Norrkoping vs Malmo FF (7) 1-2
Trelleborg vs Kalmar FF (5) 2-1
Swedish Superettan:
GIF Sundsvall vs Degefors (6)
Ukrainian Premier League:
Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih vs Volyn Lutsk (6) 1-0
Illichivets Mariupol vs Karpaty Lviv (5) 2-2
Tavriya Simferopol vs Zorya Lugansk (7) 1-0
Enjoy your free betting tips!