Vitebsk vs BATE Borisov
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Anyway, today’s secondary featured game is the Vysshaya Liga game between Vitebsk and reigning champions BATE Borisov.
Vitebsk are a side that I thought would struggle pre-season and they surprised me for a little while, obtaining results I didn’t think them capable of getting when you consider the players that they lost pre-season. As time has gone by, though, they’ve shown their true colours and have really struggled since the middle of June, losing three times, drawing once, and winning just once along the way. Four out of their last five games have gone under 2.5 goals as they seek to keep sides out, knowing very well that they lack the firepower to compete with most Vysshaya Liga opponents. I don’t think they’re stupid enough to take BATE Borisov on at their own game tonight so I expect the usual dogged defensive display and who knows – they may just get lucky.
Why? Well, BATE Borisov have bigger fish to fry, basically. Don’t get me wrong – BATE are unquestionably the strongest side in Belarus by some distance and they do have depth but one area they lack depth is in attack. The continued absence of Rodionov is not helping them and if they’re not clinical then they may suffer a surprise exit from European competition against Lithuanian giants Ekranas Panevezys next week because BATE are not scoring goals without Rodionov, unsurprisingly. I mean, Kontsevoy is quick and Skavysh has potential but neither are great finishers. BATE are fortunate that Nekhajchik has contributed as much from the right-hand side as he has this season, bagging an impressive seven goals in fifteen goals, which helps ease the over-reliance on talented Brazilian playmaker Renan. BATE can dominate games against just about anyone in Belarus but will they be clinical here? That’s the big question for me. I suspect they’ll rest players here – who wouldn’t? The UEFA Champions League holds far more importance for them than this game does, especially as they’re eight points clear of title rival Shakhtyor Soligorsk in the Vysshaya Liga table. BATE can still dominate this game, of course, but I don’t think we’ll see many goals from them either way.
The danger with Vitebsk is that they implode and get pounded, as they did here last season, if I remember rightly. I don’t fear BATE’s attacking strength too much here because although they’ve got enough to win the game, I don’t think they’ve got enough to go crazy. If Vitebsk help them do that then it’s game over but if they play their usual defensive game then this game should really end with under 2.5 goals at decent odds of 4/5.
Verdict: Under 2.5 goals at 4/5.
Friday’s Picks
My tips:
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!
Austrian Liga 1:
Lustenau vs Grodig (4)
Blau-Weiss Linz vs St.Polten (5)
SCR Altach vs WAC/St.Andra (6) over 2.5 goals
Hartberg vs Austria Lustenau (6)
First Vienna vs LASK Linz (4)
Belarusian Vysshaya Liga:
Vitebsk vs BATE Borisov (5) 0-1
Belgian Eerste Klasse:
OH Leuven vs Anderlecht (6) 1-2
Chilean Primera Division:
O’Higgins vs Union San Felipe (6) 1-0
Croatian Prva Liga:
Inter Zapresic vs Lokomotiva Zagreb (7) 1-0
NK Zagreb vs Karlovac (5) 2-1
Czech Republic Gambrinus Liga:
Dukla Prague vs Sigma Olomouc (5) 1-0
Bohemians 1905 vs Slavia Prague (7) 1-0
Faroese Meistaradeildin:
HB Torshavn vs NSI Runavik (6) 2-2
Hungarian Soproni Liga:
Gyori ETO FC vs Szombathelyi Haladas (7) 1-0
Lithuanian A Lyga:
Dainava vs Banga Gargzdai (5) 0-0
Polish Ekstraklasa:
LKS Lodz vs Lech Poznan (6) 1-1
Polonia Warsaw vs Lechia Gdansk (5) 2-1
Polish Liga 1:
Gornik Polkowice vs Pogon Szczecin (5)
Sandecja Nowy Sacz vs Wisla Plock (7)
Katowice vs Olimpia Elblag (6)
Arka Gdynia vs Piast Gliwice (5)
Swiss Challenge League:
Chiasso vs SC Kriens (6)
Ukrainian Premier League:
Obolon Kiev vs Zorya Lugansk (6) 2-1
Volyn Lutsk vs Metalist Kharkiv (6) 1-1
Enjoy your free betting tips!