Vitebsk vs Shakhter Soligorsk Predictions

• Shakhtyor Soligorsk won each of their last three games in all competitions, scoring 10 times in the process.
• Vitebsk were beaten in each of their last two league run outs.
• Shakhtyor Soligorsk won both of their last two meetings with Vitebsk, scoring six goals against them in total.
• Vitebsk registered in 100% of their home games so far this season.

Shakhtyor hit the groove

After comparable opening results in the early weeks of the new Belorussian Premier League campaign, Vitebsk and Shakhtyor Soligorsk have started to move in very different directions more recently.

Successive defeats against Isloch and Slavia saw Vitebsk tumble towards mid-table, while back-to-back victories have allowed Shakhtyor to move past their hosts to within striking distance of the top three.

The Miners have in fact, strung together three positive results on the spin, with a 4-2 Cup semi final second leg triumph over Dinamo Brest sandwiched in between league wins over the same club and Isloch.

Miners’ improvement up front

While Shakhtyor’s cup victory wasn’t enough to secure passage to the competition’s final, their goal scoring exploits had a noticeable effect on their attackers’ confidence – as evidenced by the four goals they plundered against Isloch directly after.

22-year-old Vitali Lisakovich has been a particularly potent weapon for the Miners of late, hitting five of his team’s ten goals during their impressive run of wins.

Shakhtyor should arrive in Vitebsk with a kick in their step then, and having displayed a keen attacking edge in their recent assignments, we think Soligorsk look capable of causing their hosts plenty of problems on Sunday.

Vitebsk look vulnerable

Having shipped five goals inside their last 180 minutes of football, Vitebsk’s ragged reaguard won’t be relishing the prospect of facing Lisakovich and co this weekend, and with that considered, backing over 1.5 away goals to be registered looks a smart move, especially at the prices quoted.

Vitebsk, who have only failed to score twice in seven games so far this term, have the attacking tools to notch a consolation however.

Sergey Yasinsky’s side managed to get themselves on the scoresheet in each of home games so far this season and in 24 of their last 31 Premier League home matches overall since April 2018, while Vitebsk also registered in seven of their last eight meetings with Shakhytor at the Stadyen Central’ny Vitsyebski.

Shakhtyor bagged exactly two goals in three of their last four wins over Vitebsk, and with the aforementioned factors key, a 2-1 Miners win is our correct score forecast.