Football Bet of the Day: Dinamo to charge into final

Dinamo to keep the upper hand

Shakhtyor v Dinamo Brest
Wednesday 29 April, 16:00

The Belarusian Premier League can be a cruel mistress, and she gave our Tobias a slap yesterday, as Torpedo BelAZ misfired in a goalless draw with Ruh Brest.

There are no games until Wednesday, but there's no kicking heels in this column, so we'll look ahead to the first semi-final of the Belarusian Cup. Shakhtyor are facing Dinamo Brest, and both teams have been struggling for form.

Dinamo Brest are the reigning champions, and at the start of this campaign they beat Shakhtyor 2-0 in the Super Cup. Although they have done well in the Belarusian Cup this year (in 2020 they have edged out Isloch on penalties, and they beat Shakhtyor 2-0 in the first leg of this tie) they have only won two of their first six matches in the league. It is however worth bearing in mind that they have only lost one of their last 18 away games in the top flight. That was the most recent one, a 1-0 defeat at Vitebsk, and that late winner only came after Dinamo had been reduced to nine men.

Shakhtyor have already lost twice to Dinamo this season, and they too have only won twice in the league. On home soil, they are winless in their last three league games, and they lost to Torpedo BelAZ and surprise league leaders Slutsk. People will point to the fact that Shakhtyor won 2-0 at Dinamo Brest in the top flight at the weekend, but that was their only win against Dinamo in the last four meetings.

2-0 down from the first leg, Shakhtyor are playing catch-up, and they seem too short to win the second leg at evens. I'll back the league champions to pick up a positive result and reach the final.