BATE Borisov vs Arsenal Preview:
Possible starting lineups:
BATE Borisov:
Scherbitski; Rios, Volkov, Filipenko, Filipovic; Baga, Dragun, Ivanic; Skavysh, Dubajic, Stasevich
Arsenal:
Leno; Mustafi, Koscielny, Monreal; Maitland-Niles, Torreira, Guendouzi, Kolasinac; Suarez, Ozil, Aubameyang
BATE Borisov will host Arsenal in the first-leg match of their UEFA Europa League last-32 tie. BATE have finished second in the group that also consisted Chelsea, MOL Vidi from Hungary and Greek side PAOK. They had nine points with a record of three victories and three defeats. Interesting, two of those three victories were obtained away from home. Coach Alyaksey Baha is doing a solid job and I believe the fans are satisfied with the results in European second tier competition. He guided his side to a 3:1 win over PAOK in Greece in the last round, a victory that guaranteed the runners-up spot. But something else could be a problem ahead of this match - the lack of competitive action due to the winter break of the Belarus championship. The club are currently in the middle of their pre-season preparation period ahead of the start of the new domestic season in March. BATE played few friendly games and results were not too important, however it should be noted that two of them have ended in defeat. Coach Baha is now without Nikolai Signevich as he signed for Hungarian club Ferencvaros in January. His departure is a big handicap knowing he has scored three goals in the group stage. Three new players arrived during the transfer period - Bojan Dubajic, Nemanja Milic and Dmitri Bessmertny have been added to BATE's Europa League squad.
Arsenal finished as first in their group, ahead of Sporting Lisbon, Vorskla Poltava and Qarabag. The Gunners had five victories and just one draw in six European matches. However, the fans are disappointed with the overall results this season. Arsenal sit outside Champions League spots in the domestic Premier League and manager Unai Emery is under big pressure. Last weekend Arsenal obtained their first away victory since November against relegation candidates Huddersfield. Alex Iwobi and Alexandre Lacazette scored the goals in a 2:1 win. Just to mention, Iwobi has a hand in 10 goals in all competitions for Arsenal this season, scoring four and assisted six. Emery will try to continue with another win in Belarus, though he has some injury issues. Sokratis Papastathopoulos, Danny Welbeck, Hector Bellerin and Rob Holding are definitely sidelined, while few more players are rated as doubtful. Mesut Ozil and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang have both missed the last match with Huddersfield through illness. The duo is expected to feature here if they recover in time. Aaron Ramsey is suffering with a knee problem, while Granit Xhaka deals with a groin injury. It is clear the medical team will have the last word about their involvement in this match. New acquisition Denis Suarez, who came on loan from Barcelona during January transfer window, will probably start from the first minute.
BATE Borisov vs Arsenal Prediction:
I expect both teams to score here. The main reason for my pick is connect with Arsenal. The Gunners have a strong attack lead by Lacazette and Aubameyang and they have no problem to score. At the same time the defense shows lot of weaknesses. Arsenal rarely managed to keep clean sheet. The last four Arsenal's matches in all competitions have finished with goals on both sides. BATE Borisov play at home and they should be able to score at least once.
BATE Borisov vs Arsenal Pick: Both teams to score - Yes @ 1.80 with Bet365
Possible starting lineups:
BATE Borisov:
Scherbitski; Rios, Volkov, Filipenko, Filipovic; Baga, Dragun, Ivanic; Skavysh, Dubajic, Stasevich
Arsenal:
Leno; Mustafi, Koscielny, Monreal; Maitland-Niles, Torreira, Guendouzi, Kolasinac; Suarez, Ozil, Aubameyang
BATE Borisov will host Arsenal in the first-leg match of their UEFA Europa League last-32 tie. BATE have finished second in the group that also consisted Chelsea, MOL Vidi from Hungary and Greek side PAOK. They had nine points with a record of three victories and three defeats. Interesting, two of those three victories were obtained away from home. Coach Alyaksey Baha is doing a solid job and I believe the fans are satisfied with the results in European second tier competition. He guided his side to a 3:1 win over PAOK in Greece in the last round, a victory that guaranteed the runners-up spot. But something else could be a problem ahead of this match - the lack of competitive action due to the winter break of the Belarus championship. The club are currently in the middle of their pre-season preparation period ahead of the start of the new domestic season in March. BATE played few friendly games and results were not too important, however it should be noted that two of them have ended in defeat. Coach Baha is now without Nikolai Signevich as he signed for Hungarian club Ferencvaros in January. His departure is a big handicap knowing he has scored three goals in the group stage. Three new players arrived during the transfer period - Bojan Dubajic, Nemanja Milic and Dmitri Bessmertny have been added to BATE's Europa League squad.
Arsenal finished as first in their group, ahead of Sporting Lisbon, Vorskla Poltava and Qarabag. The Gunners had five victories and just one draw in six European matches. However, the fans are disappointed with the overall results this season. Arsenal sit outside Champions League spots in the domestic Premier League and manager Unai Emery is under big pressure. Last weekend Arsenal obtained their first away victory since November against relegation candidates Huddersfield. Alex Iwobi and Alexandre Lacazette scored the goals in a 2:1 win. Just to mention, Iwobi has a hand in 10 goals in all competitions for Arsenal this season, scoring four and assisted six. Emery will try to continue with another win in Belarus, though he has some injury issues. Sokratis Papastathopoulos, Danny Welbeck, Hector Bellerin and Rob Holding are definitely sidelined, while few more players are rated as doubtful. Mesut Ozil and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang have both missed the last match with Huddersfield through illness. The duo is expected to feature here if they recover in time. Aaron Ramsey is suffering with a knee problem, while Granit Xhaka deals with a groin injury. It is clear the medical team will have the last word about their involvement in this match. New acquisition Denis Suarez, who came on loan from Barcelona during January transfer window, will probably start from the first minute.
BATE Borisov vs Arsenal Prediction:
I expect both teams to score here. The main reason for my pick is connect with Arsenal. The Gunners have a strong attack lead by Lacazette and Aubameyang and they have no problem to score. At the same time the defense shows lot of weaknesses. Arsenal rarely managed to keep clean sheet. The last four Arsenal's matches in all competitions have finished with goals on both sides. BATE Borisov play at home and they should be able to score at least once.
BATE Borisov vs Arsenal Pick: Both teams to score - Yes @ 1.80 with Bet365
