The clash between Dynamo Moscow and Dynamo Minsk promises to be a tight affair with plenty of drama as both sides look to settle into their new setups. With fresh coaches at the helm it is all about who can grab early momentum and build some real belief in the dressing room. The types around the league are pointing to a hard fought battle where the visitors might just hold their nerve on the road.
Team Form
Both clubs have had a shaky start to the season after making big changes in the summer. Moscow have struggled on the road losing to Avtomobilist and SKA before scraping a shootout win at home against Admiral. Minsk also went to penalties in their opener against Torpedo and will be eager to show more steel in this one.
- Moscow have zero wins in regular time so far this campaign
- Minsk showed fight in their first game despite the shootout loss
- Last season Minsk handled Moscow comfortably in the playoffs
- Control game before the season saw Moscow win four one
Tactical Analysis
Leonid Tambiev needs a strong home run to ease the pressure while Sergei Brylin brings that NHL style of discipline to Minsk. The visitors could look to play a compact game and wait for Moscow to overcommit in search of that elusive regulation win. Key battles on the blue line and in the neutral zone will decide if Minsk can keep the game close into the later periods.
Strengths for Minsk include their playoff experience against this opponent and a coach who knows how to grind out results. Moscow on the other hand have the home crowd but lack that winning feeling which could lead to nervous play if the match stays level.
Betting Proposal
After weighing up the early season struggles and the history between these sides the smart money is on the visitors to avoid defeat in regular time. Minsk not to lose on the road at odds of 1.67 looks the value play here.
In the end this fixture has all the makings of a low scoring grinder where one moment of quality or a mistake could swing the outcome. Fans in Nigeria and beyond will be watching closely to see if Brylin can mastermind an upset on enemy ice.
