Torpedo-BelAZ will be looking to build on their encouraging start to the season when they travel to FC Minsk in the Belarusian top flight on Saturday afternoon.

The visitors have collected 11 points from their six league games this season to occupy third spot in the table, while Minsk sit seventh with nine points to show from their six fixtures this term.

Match preview

The coronavirus outbreak might have halted the majority of football across the globe, but the Vysheyshaya Liga is continuing, and there are currently no signs that the competition will be called off.

The season is actually now six games old, with Slutsk leading the division while Belshina prop up the table. Torpedo will be eyeing first spot this weekend, though, as they sit third, just two points off the summit.

The visitors to Minsk opened their league campaign with successive wins over Shakhtyor and Belshina to move onto six points, before suffering a 2-0 defeat away to Dinamo Minsk on April 3.

Yuri Puntus's side returned to winning ways at home to Energetyk-BGU on April 11 but have drawn their last two against BATE Borisov and Rukh Brest, meaning that they have only won one of their last four ahead of this clash.

Torpedo posted sixth in the Belarusian Premier League last term, following on from three successive fifth-placed finishes. It would be a surprise if they seriously challenged at the top end of the division this season but another victory this weekend could well move them to the summit.

Minsk, meanwhile, have won three and lost three of their six league matches this season, with a total of nine points leaving them in seventh, only four points off the top of the table as things stand.

Andrey Razin's side opened their campaign with back-to-back wins over Belshina and Dinamo Minsk before suffering three straight defeats against Energetyk-BGU, BATE and Rukh Brest.

Minsk returned to winning ways last weekend, though, with a 3-1 success at Slavia. The Red and Navy Blues ended last season in ninth spot in the league, following on from finishes of 14th and 11th.

Razin's side have actually won four of their last five league matches in front of their own supporters, while Torpedo have been victorious in just one of their last seven league fixtures on their travels, suggesting that the hosts are the favourites ahead of kickoff at Stadion FK Minsk.

Minsk form (Belarusian Premier League): WWLLLW

Torpedo form (Belarusian Premier League): WWLWDD

Head To Head

Torpedo have actually won 14 of the last 32 matches between the two sides, with Minsk claiming just five victories and the other 13 fixtures finishing level.

Minsk did run out 2-0 winners in their last meeting in August 2019, however, and the two matches before that both finished level.

Torpedo's last victory in this fixture was a 2-1 success in April 2018, but six of the last eight meetings between the two sides have finished level, suggesting that this weekend's contest will be a close affair.

We say: Minsk 1-1 Torpedo

It is difficult to ignore the amount of draws that have occurred in this particular fixture over the last few years. Both teams will feel that they can hurt the opposition in the final third, but a point each would not be the worst result in the world for either manager, and we are backing a low-scoring draw at Stadion FK Minsk.