FK Gorodeya vs Shakhter Soligorsk Predictions

• Shakhtyor have won seven and drawn two of nine previous head-to-head encounters
• Gorodeya have scored only two goals against Shakhtyor in that time
• Six of Shakhtyor’s seven wins over Gorodeya have been by a 1-0 scoreline

Gorodeya and Shakhtyor Soligorsk were both 1-0 losers on the opening weekend of the Belarusian Premier League season but Shakhytor are quite rightly seen as the likelier of the two to make amends this weekend.

Shakhtyor’s opening-day reverse at home to Torpedo Zhodino was something of a surprise given that only five days prior to that defeat they had beaten the same opposition 2-0 in the second leg of their Belarusian Cup quarter-final to secure a 3-0 aggregate triumph.

The visitors have become a prominent force in Belarusian football in the past 20 years, winning the Premier League in 2005 and finishing runner-up on another six occasions.

Shakhtyor finished third last term but beat Vitebsk in the final of the Belarusian Cup to claim a place in this season’s Europa League where they were outclassed by Italian stalwarts Torino in the third qualifying round.

They are strong favourites to chalk up their first victory of the new league season against Gorodeya and their head-to-head record certainly makes a compelling case in their favour – as does a win to nil.

Founded just 16 years ago, Gorodeya only entered the top flight in 2015 and have found life especially tough against Shakhtyor, who have won seven of their eight league meetings. The hosts have scored only two goals in that sequence, of which both game in a 2-2 draw nearly four years ago.

Games between the pair have invariably been close with a 4-0 win in July 2017 the only time that Shakhtyor have really cut loose. Indeed, their other six league and cup victories over Gorodeya have all been by a 1-0 scoreline.

Back Shakhtyor to triumph by the same scoreline on Saturday. In nine league and cup meetings the Miners average 1.33 goals per game while Gorodeya average 0.22.