Live football! We should get excited… shouldn’t we? Well. It’s not as simple as that. Football fans across the world have been turning their attention to the Belarusian Premier League, as it is the only top-flight division in Europe continuing to play amid the coronavirus outbreak. For some, whether the league should be going ahead is not even a debate, but Belarusian authorities are persevering, and as a result, the league is gaining traction. Here, for the next few hours, we will follow a top-of-the-table clash between Energetik-BGU and Minsk. Kick-off is midday UK time, and Michael Hincks will bring you live updates as he quickly gets to grips with a league defying the status quo.
Belarusbank-Vysshaya Liga / Matchday 3
05.04.2020
/dnl.eurosport.com/sd/img/match/football-header-bg-mobile.jpg)
/images.sports.gracenote.com/images/lib/basic/sport/football/club/logo/300/107206.png){kind=logo}
/images.sports.gracenote.com/images/lib/basic/sport/football/club/logo/300/115851.png){kind=logo}
- A. Nosko(22')
- J. Yakhshiboev(90+3')
Live
Live Updates
/dnl.eurosport.com/sd/img/placeholder/eurosport_logo_1x1.png){kind=logo}
Updated 05/04/2020 at 12:59 GMT
- All
- Highlights
End of 2nd Half
FULL TIME
And that's that. BGU beat local rivals FC Minsk 2-0, meaning after three matches the hosts have nine points from nine.
Stay tuned on Eurosport for the report and feature - it certainly has been a learning curve, and it feels to bizarre to blog an actual live match during the pandemic, so let's see how long the Belarusian show will go on...
90+2'
GOAAAAALLL!!! BGU GET THEIR SECOND!
That's game over. BGU go on the break, and it's No.7 Jakhshibaev (or Yakhshiboev) who bears down on goal before squeezing the ball in from a narrow angle. He has been the standout player this afternoon, and that strike means BGU will maintain their 100% start to the season.
90'
Into stoppage time... FOUR minutes added on.
89'
Shramchenko has his head in his hands! A ball over the top finds the midfielder, but his touch lets him down. He slips, the ball gets away from him, and the chance goes begging.
87'
SAVE! Sadovsky to the rescue for BGU as he keeps out Vasilyev's low attempt... it goes out for a corner.
OVER! From six yards out Khvashchinskiy can only head over, a difficult chance as he was stretching for it.
84'
WHAT A SAVE! From that free-kick, BGU go on the attack and somehow Umarov finds himself with plenty of space as he gets a shot away, but Leonov is equal to it, making a fine one-handed stop as the ball goes over for a corner.
82'
BGU relishing any chance they have to run down the clock. Nosko hoofs a free-kick forward while the ball was still rolling and that prompts the referee to blow his whistle and make him take it again. Clever.
80'
Ten minutes to go and it's attack vs defence time as 10-man BGU try to protect their lead.
77'
Now a sub for Minsk as they push for an equaliser... Vasilyev on for Prishchepa.
74'
Pressure on BGU now - they've dominated this half, lead 1-0, but now find themselves a man down.
That has prompted a sub, with Atemengue - on a yellow himself - off and Umarov on to replace him.
71'
RED CARD! BGU are down to 10 men! Musahagian is late with the tackle and that's enough to earn the No.18 a second yellow. He picked up his first midway through the first half.
68'
And Leonov is now up, a little shaken, and the referee just wants to make sure he is okay to continue.
Play resumes.
66'
Again Atemengue and Leonov clash.
A ball is played over the top and Atemengue can't quite get to it. Leonov gathers but he spills the ball after the forward's momentum means he collides into the goalkeeper.
Leonov is down getting some treatment.
65'
All BGU.
62'
Yudchits sends in a cross intended for Atemengue, but the forward is penalised for a push on goalkeeper Leonov after he punches the ball away.
60'
SIDE NETTING! A huge chance for Minsk just as I say they've offered little all half...
The ball is played over to Ostroukh, who is in acres of space and has time to line up a shot from about 10 yards out at an angle, but he can only fire it into the side netting... The substitute is right to look disappointed with himself.
57'
Minsk have offered very little this second half, to the delight I'm sure of BGU's five or so fans in the stand.
54'
Tell you what, BGU's Junior Atemengue ain't half a tall chap. Quite clearly their target man up front, but this time he strays offside as he gets a header on target...
Google tells me he's 195cm, 6ft 5in. Tall.
51'
Like the old Arsenal! The thing about Energetik-BGU is they always try to walk it in...
Jakhshibaev carries and carries the ball across the edge of the box, he eventually feeds in Mawatu but there is no time to get a shot away...
49'
It's Tweh who gets an early booking this half after treading on the foot of Chagovets. Didn't look malicious, but he's now on a yellow.