Smolevichi vs Isloch Predictions

• Isloch Minsk finished fifth in the 2019 Belarusian Premier League, winning 13 of their 30 league assignments.
• Smolevichi were promoted as runners-up in the Belarusian First League, losing only two of their 28 league games.
• Smolevichi haven’t won any of their last nine Belarus Premier League games stretching back to 2018.

Isloch Minsk left it late to win their opening game of the 2020 Belarusian Premier League season, with Momo Yansane’s 88th-minute strike helping them to a 1-0 success over Neman on Saturday and they can maintain their perfect start by beating Smolevichi.

That result means Isloch Minsk have kept three successive clean sheets in competitive matches this year, twice drawing 0-0 with league title holders Dinamo Brest in their two-legged cup quarter-final affair beforehand. Brest went on to win 5-3 on penalties.

But in those games Isloch demonstrated their defensive resolve and they can make life tough for top-flight new boys and visitors Smolevichi.

The away side pulled off the shock of the opening weekend to take a point off title holders Dinamo Brest with a 1-1 draw in the first game on the road.

It was through making themselves tough to break down that Smolevichi finished runners-up in the second tier of Belarusian football, winning 19 of their 28 fixtures, but perhaps most eye-catching was their defensive record last term. 

They conceded only 15 goals all term in the 2019 Belarusian First League – seven fewer than league winners Belshina Bobruisk. They kept three clean sheets in their final four league games of 2019 and have not lost a league contest since August so they are no pushovers.

But Isloch enjoyed results such as a 4-2 win away to BATE Borisov and a 1-1 draw with Dinamo Brest towards the end of last season and possess the players to eventually break Smolevichi down.

Yansane made his loan deal permanent with the club after scoring 11 league goals last season and has already got on the scoresheet in 2020, while Alyaksandr Makas found the net ten times himself last term. Isloch should record a narrow victory.