Credit: Extratime Team (ETPhotos)
Europa League Preview: Dinamo Minsk -v- St Patrick's Athletic
- Dave Donnelly
- Thu, Jul 14 2016
DINAMO MINSK
Dinamo Minsk welcome St Patrick's Athletic to the Belarus capital on the back of home and away victories over Latvian side Spartaks Jurmala.
Dinamo were forced to work for their passage after Spartaks secured an away goal on their travels, but goals from Vladimir Khvaschinski and Mohammed El-Monir secured victory in Jurmala.
The Dinamo squad includes several current and former internationals, including defender Roman Begunov who was called up for the pre-Euro 2016 friendlies against Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
El-Monir, who scored in injury time in Jurmala, is a Libyan international while former Watford youth Umaru Bangura is a regular in midfield with Sierra Leone.
Minsk this week cancelled the contracts of Bulgarian defender Viktor Genev and Serbian winger Nenad Adamovic, while Aleksandr Sverchinskiy signed from Slovak side Zemplin.
ST PATRICK'S ATHLETIC
St Patrick's Athletic made difficult work of Luxembourgian side Jeunesse Esch in the first qualifying round, progressing on away goals after taking a 1-0 lead to Esch-sur-Alzette.
This round sees the Saints travel away for the first leg to the side who finished second behind perennial champions BATE Borisov in last year's Premier League.
While Dundalk competed well against BATE last season, the step up in quality for Liam Buckley's young side will be comparatively more steep and the manager has set his side the task of merely staying without touching distance for the return leg in Richmond Park next week.
"The travel to Minsk was a long journey for the squad, but the players are in good spirits ahead of the game," Buckley told the club's website.
"We know it's a step up in opposition compared to the last round. Dinamo have a huge history of competing in European competition so we know that we're in for a tough test this evening.
“The aim is to try and compete with them as best as possible and in European football, if you can keep the tie alive heading in to the second leg, you have a chance."
"Our aim will be to do that and try and get them back to Richmond Park where we've a good record in years gone by."
Buckley has close to a full-strength squad to pick from, with only fringe players Conor O'Malley and Jack Bayly ruled out.
Referee: Srdjan Jovanovi?,
MATCH STATS
This is the third successive season in which Irish and Belarussian sides have faced off in European competition.
Last year saw Dundalk travel to play BATE Borisov and take a narrow but creditable 2-1 defeat back to Oriel Park, however a 0-0 defeat in a fixture televised live by RTE saw the Belarussian champions squeeze through and eventually reach the Champions League group stages.
A year previously, Derry City's reward for a 9-0 aggregate defeat of Aberystwyth Town in the Europa League was a trip to face Shakhtyor Soligursk, however a 5-1 drubbing at Stroitel Stadium and a 1-0 reverse at the Brandywell saw City bow out.
BETTING
Dinamo Minsk 1/5; Draw 4/1; St Patrick's Athletic 12/1.
PREDICTION
Dinamo Minsk 3 – 0 St Patrick's Athletic
Dinamo Minsk
Injured: Unknown.
Doubtful: Unknown.
Suspended: None.
St Patrick's Athletic
Injured: Jack Bayly, Conor O'Malley.
Doubtful: None.
Suspended: None.
