Dinamo Minsk – Arsenal: Preview
We have the forecasts for the match between Dinamo Minsk and Arsenal Zhodino in the context of the 25th round of the 2026 Belarusian Championship.
Dinamo Minsk
1. Dinamo has a light schedule and the Minsk side is actively taking advantage of it
Before the start of the 25th round, Dinamo was one point behind ML Vitebsk. The postponed matches, played mid‑week, did not change the title race: both teams won against nominally weaker opponents. Dinamo beat Slavia Minsk 3–1 and this victory was the third consecutive one. However, the three rivals in this favorable streak are below the tenth place in the table. Arsenal also comes from there.
2. Dinamo’s squad has emptied, but some players are still recovering from injuries
The match against Slavia was notable for several positive squad news. Central defender Roman Begunov, who had not played for Dnipro due to injury, came off the bench and will probably return to the starting lineup in the next round. Also the striker Leonid Gvet received his first minutes of play this autumn. The author of the third goal against Slavia was Vladislav Poloz, who spent most of the season with a serious injury and was only returning with substitutions. In addition, the important Dinamo striker Ivan Bakhar, who had not yet played this season, started to be included in the squad.
3. Dinamo has found a new attacking leader
Dinamo’s recent successes are due to Evgeni Malashevich, who scored four of the team’s last seven goals. With nine goals in 21 matches, the young Belarusian national team winger is in third place in the Belarusian Championship top‑scorer ranking. Despite the support of the local crowd, the new team leader should not relax. In three of the last five home matches, Dinamo beat opponents by a minimum margin of two goals, but the other two games ended in narrow defeats.
Arsenal Zhodino
1. 10 matches without a win: the relegation zone is approaching
At the beginning of September, Arsenal had a reason for optimism after earning points in the matches against Isloch (1–1) and the bold newcomers of the Super League, Barynovichi (0–0). However, the next two rounds were lost: the away game at ML Vitebsk ended in a humiliating 1–5 defeat, and the opening of the stadium after reconstruction did not give strength in the match against successful Dinamo Brest (0–1). The winless streak in the league has continued since mid‑July: eight defeats and two draws.
2. Arsenal can also boast of not losing
In the match against Dinamo Brest, two first‑team players returned to the starting lineup. Central defender Vladislav Vasiliev had been absent for six matches due to injury, and full‑back Daniel Volski was recovering from a minor injury at the end of August. In addition, central defender Denis Polyakov, who had missed four games, recovered. Thus, for the first time in a long time, Arsenal can play with an optimal lineup, including winger Dmitry Antilevski, who served a one‑match suspension.
3. Arsenal has only once in its history beaten Dinamo
The only victory of Arsenal over the “white‑blues” was recorded in June last year, when Arsenal scored a winning penalty in the 88th minute. The mini‑sensation also ended the first meeting of both teams, dated April 2022, when Arsenal debuted in the Super League and drew with the tournament favourite. However, the other five meetings with Dinamo were lost by Arsenal, although never with a crushing scoreline.
Possible lineups
4‑2‑3‑1
3 Shimakovich24 Vakuich26 Kalinin67 Begunov44 Gurban8 Selyava42 Abdullahi78 Sokolovskiy7 Malashevich30 Djimet10 Vardanian16 Vashchenko41 Lutik46 Vasiliev31 Zaleski18 Volskiy77 Sotnikov79 Badoev71 Matveev11 Zalagov90 Antilevski33 GorbachikBetting on the trend
Both teams scored only in two of the last nine home matches at Dinamo and only in two of the last six away matches at Arsenal. OZ (no) at 1.68.
No more than two goals scored in seven of the nine home matches at Dinamo and Arsenal, including friendly matches. TM (2.5) at 1.90.
Prediction
Dinamo Minsk vs Arsenal Zhodino
19.10.2026 21:00
Dinamo Minsk has suffered a slight dip and achieved three consecutive wins with a total score of 8:3. Half of those goals were scored by Evgeni Malashevich, who becomes the new team leader, but the competition for a place in Dinamo’s squad intensifies because the club’s squad is almost empty.
In the three recent victories, Dinamo beat teams from the bottom of the table, and the nearest rival is also far from the relegation zone. Arsenal earned only two points in the last ten rounds and scored only one goal in the last three matches. The improvement is not achieved with the recent coaching change or the return of all injured players.
Arsenal has never conceded more than two goals against Dinamo in direct matches, but five of the last six meetings with the “white‑blues” ended in defeats for the Zhodino club. We expect the same result now.
Prediction: 2-0
