Slutsk vs. FC Minsk – Belarusian Premier League, October 16, 2020

Time is beginning to run out for Slutsk now as it battles against the threat of relegation. Points have been hard to find and a win on Friday against FC Minsk is now crucial.

The capital city club is not completely out of danger itself. But some more positive results over the last few months have given it more of a chance at least.

The Belarusian Premier League has been difficult to follow at times this year, due to a number of reasons, but one thing that we have been able to count on in that the bookies will make Slutsk the underdog in any given game. MyBookie does the honors here – and because the team has one won in the last 16 league games, the odds for the away win look much better value.

Slutsk’s fall from grace has been nothing short of spectacular and it is only the form of a number of other teams at the bottom of the table that keeps it in with a chance of safety. The positive results at the beginning of the season have also helped this campaign not to have been a total disaster.

Slutsk was knocked out of the cup by Shakhtyor the last time it played before the international break and it is the amount of goals that are being conceded that will probably be troubling manager Aleksandr Konchits the most. It is difficult to see this team stopping a repeat of that on Friday.

That’s because FC Minsk has looked like a different team since Vadim Skripchenko took over in August. Health issues had afflicted the club as well, but the new regime has given the whole place a new look and the seemingly inevitable relegation battle has virtually disappeared.

But the danger is not quite over for Minsk. It is ten points clear of Slutsk – who currently hold the relegation playoff place – and has six games of the season left to play. A win here would probably just about do it – and this team has won four of its last five games, so the odds look good.

With Slutsk showing the dire form that it is, being able to back FC Minsk with these kinds of odds should not be missed. The club is showing the best form of anyone in the bottom half of the table and should have no trouble picking up another three points here on Friday.