A fast-improving BATE outfit secured a third win in four matches in midweek with a 2-0 home win over Slavia Mozyr in the 2nd leg of the Belarusian Cup, which also resulted in BATE progressing through to the final of the domestic cup competition.
A disappointing start to the new Vysshaya Liga season saw BATE handed early back-to-back defeats against Energetyk-BGU and Slavia Mozyr in 3-1 and 2-1 losses but it’s worth noting that both of these were away from home as well.
BATE quickly recovered with a 1-0 home win against Rukh Brest and this result is part of a four-match unbeaten run which the hosts have subsequently put together, along with a 3-0 win at FC Minsk and last weekend’s 2-0 win on the road at Gorodeya.
In addition, BATE have been hard to beat on home turf at their Borisov Arena as the hosts have suffered just 1 defeat out of their last 15 matches in the Vysshaya Liga, an impressive sequence of results which include 12 wins.
Onto Neman Grodno, and the visitors’ good form at home in this season’s Vysshaya Liga continued last weekend when they registered a resounding 3-0 victory over Energetyk-BGU which brought an end to a previous 3-match spell without a league win.
Neman had previously been held to back-to-back draws with Shakhtyor Soligorsk and Belshina in 0-0 and 1-1 draws respectively along with a 2-0 defeat away from home at Dinamo Minsk, and it’s been their results on the road that have held them back so far this term.
Despite yet to taste defeat at their Stadyen Nyoman, Neman Grodno also have yet to record an away win this term as they’ve been dealt defeats at Isloch Minsk and Dinamo Minsk either side of a point at Shakhtyor, while the bigger picture also looks a gloomy one for the visitors.
With just 1 win from their last 10 matches overall on the road, Neman Grodno look to have their work cut out if they’re to try and contain this improving BATE outfit, especially at the Borisov Arena.
Sunday’s hosts, BATE, therefore look the more likely to collect all three points here and they also look set to cover the -1.5 asian handicap line too.