Reigning Vysheyshaya Liga champions Dinamo Brest will be looking to make it three wins on the bounce when they head to Energetik-BGU on Saturday afternoon.
Energetik will also be looking to build on victories in their two most recent outings, as the Belarusian top flight continues to play on amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Match preview
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Despite losing three of their four league fixtures in the month of April, Energetik have resumed their push towards the top of the table with victories over Smolevichi and Slutsk respectively.
Vladimir Belyavskiy's men currently sit fourth in the standings heading into gameweek nine, and it is fair to say that Energetik are exceeding expectations at this early stage of the season.
Belyavskiy's side only made their return to the big time last year following a 13-year stint in the lower divisions and are in a strong position to improve on last season's 12th-placed finish.
Two first-half penalties from Jasurbek Yakhshiboev set Energetik on their way to a second away victory in as many weeks against Slutsk last weekend, and the 22-year-old currently leads the way in the top scorer charts alongside Neman's Gegham Kadymyan.
Jasurbek has struck six of Energetik's 10 league goals thus far, and should other results go their way this weekend, Belyavskiy could witness his side finish the gameweek atop the Belarusian Premier League table with a victory.
Brest have endured similar fortunes to their opponents in the past few weeks, picking up two successive victories following three losses across all competitions in April.
The 2019 Belarusian Premier League champions currently sit sixth in the table after eight games, as Dzyanis Laptsew's second-half winner saw Brest overcome Dinamo Minsk 2-1 last weekend.
Sergey Kovalchuk's men can also look forward to a Belarusian Cup final against current table-toppers BATE Borisov later this month, but Brest fans will certainly hope that the champions do not rest on their laurels as the league campaign gathers pace.
It has been a less-than-ideal start for Brest as they look to defend their 2019 title, but their away record speaks for itself; Kovalchuk's side have only lost one of their last 19 league matches on the road.
Nevertheless, the holders will be coming up against an Energetik side that have picked up five wins from their most recent seven home fixtures, and both teams will be determined to take all three points in Saturday's opening clash.
Energetik Vysheyshaya Liga form: WLLLWW
Dinamo Brest Vysheyshaya Liga form: LWLLWW
Dinamo Brest form (all competitions): WLLLWW
Head To Head
The two sides have met 10 times in the Belarusian top flight since 2002, with Energetik picking up two wins compared to Dinamo's four.
However, Energetik have not tasted success against the current champions since 2003, and Belyavskiy was forced to witness his side endure a 6-2 thrasing in the most recent meeting last season.
We say: Energetik 1-1 Dinamo Brest
Brest are finally beginning to play like champions after a slow start to the campaign, but Energetik have been full value for their impressive start to the 2020 season. With that in mind, we think a draw is the most likely result between two sides vying for Vysheyshaya Liga glory.
Ben Knapton
