Shakhtyor Soligorsk is welcoming Energetik-BGU Minsk to Stroitel Stadium in a derby match of round 12 of the Belarus Vysshaya League.
Shakhtyor is playing fantastic soccer this season, especially on the defensive end where they conceded only 3 goals so far this season, remarkable feat. Shakhtyor has won their last three straight games and they score 7 goals during that stretch and conceded 0 goals. With 21 points, 16 scored goals, and 3 conceded goals, Shakhtyor is in 3rd place in the standings. In their latest Vysshaya League match against Dinamo Minsk on the road, Shakhtyor has had 46% of ball possession, 3 shots on goal, and 3 corner kicks. This was a tough game for both teams but Shakhtyor was able to win it 0-1. As I’ve mentioned earlier, Shakhtyor is playing outstanding soccer on the defensive end, and they are not looking to stop anytime soon, but they are facing a strong, offensive team in this match, which I would say will be the first proper test for Shakhtyor. With only 4 points behind Bate Borisov at the top, and still plenty of games, left, Shakhtyor has enough time to try and take over the first place, but I don’t see it happening, at least not this season.
Energetik is one of the best offensive teams in the Vysshaya League with 17 scored goals. Taking into consideration that Energetik was almost relegated last season, seeing them on the high, second place with 22 points will take some getting used to, but I like it. Energetik has score 11 goals in their last 5 games, but they also conceded at least 1 goal in 4 of those 5 games. In their Vysshaya League match against Vitebsk last weekend, Energetik has had 44% of ball possession, 5 shots on goal, and 4 corner kicks. We had an eventful first half of this game, and if Energetik hasn’t conceded a red card, I believe they would have won this game, but unfortunately for Energetik, they conceded a goal in the last minute and this match ended in a 3-3 draw. I like the teams that are more focused on the attack than on the defense and their soccer style and desire to always score one goal more than their opponents makes Energetik an exciting and enjoyable team in my head. Now, the question is if their offense can keep up to bail out their defense for the rest of the season, we will see, but I’m hopeful and I can see Energetik staying close to the top of the Vysshaya League.
This is a matchup between two of the fantastic teams in a fantastic form. Both Shakhtyor and Energetik are playing well in the offensive end, but Shakhtyor is by far the better team defensively. I’ve mentioned that Shakhtyor has conceded only 3 goals this season, and 0 goals in their last 4 games, but Energetik has the power to get through Shakhtyor’s defensive wall.