Energetik-BGU vs. Gorodeya Odds, Prediction, and Pick – Belarusian Premier League, April 16

Energetik-BGU’s 100% start to the season was ended at the weekend as it lost its first game of the new campaign. But performances have been above what had been expected from one of the smaller Minsk clubs.

Gorodeya is next up this week, and the club from the west of the country will want to keep up its own positive start as it attempts to break away from the scrum of sides in the middle of the table.

Energetik-BGU has been made the favorite to win this by BetOnline, but it is Gorodeya that has won its last two games, and there could be some value in looking at the away win here. But with both sides not expected to be challenging for honors this season, a tight game might be on the cards, suggesting that the price for a draw should be investigated.

The start to the 2020 Belarusian Premier League season was filled with shock results, but Energetik-BGU surprised many by winning its first three games to top the table. Last weekend’s loss to Torpedo-BelAZ Zhodino changed all that, and it will now be interesting to see if the smaller club can stay in contention.

Uzbekistan U23 international Jasur Yakhshiboev has been the top goal scorer in the whole league so far, but he couldn’t break down the Torpedo defense last time out. Manager Vladimir Belyavski will be hoping that some others from his cosmopolitan squad can step up and help out here.

But they will have to find a way past a Gorodeya defense that has only conceded three goals so far this year. The main reason why the club is not higher in the table, however, is because of the misfiring front line. The two recent victories have both been by the same 1-0 scoreline. Gorodeya has two twin brothers as strikers, but it is Sergey Arkhipov that got the winner against Dinamo Minsk last Friday.

If more Gorodeya players can contribute on the goals front, then there might be a chance to climb the table. But it does look like the team’s defensive tactics will once again come to the fore here.

There is no doubt that Energetik-BGU has started the season in fine fashion and has surprised everyone by doing so well after losing top scorer Ilya Shkurin in the offseason. But I feel that Gorodeya will concentrate on picking up a point here and will be able to successfully nullify the attacking threat of the home side. A draw will probably suit both managers this early on in the campaign.

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