Northern Ireland v Belarus (15/11/2024)

SCOUTING REPORT

TACTICS Belarus set up in a 3-4-2-1 formation in their draws with Northern Ireland and Luxembourg last month. As is often the case for teams operating with a back three, the wing-backs drop back when Belarus are out of possession, with their backline therefore appearing more like a flat back five. They also have a fluid frontline featuring a lone forward – it was Yevgeni Shikavka in those aforementioned matches – who is supported in attacking situations by the likes of Valery Gromyko and German Barkovski. STRENGTHS As results this year suggest, one of Belarus’ main strengths is their ability to keep a clean sheet. In addition to their shutouts in three of their four UEFA Nations League matches so far this season, Alós’ side also kept a clean sheet in a friendly in Malta back in March. Standing 6ft 3ins tall, veteran centre back Sergei Politevich plays at the heart of the White Wings’ defence. Dominant in the air and a good reader of the game, Politevich is also a threat at the other end of the pitch from set pieces, as he demonstrated with his headed goal from a Valery Gromyko delivery against Luxembourg last month. Gromyko is one of Belarus’ main dangermen. September, as he controlled a long ball from Kirill Piachenin with his chest before curling the ball into the back of the net from the edge of the penalty area. POSSIBLE LINE-UP GK Fedor Lapoukhov LWB Kirill Piachenin CB Aleksandr Martynovich CB Sergei Politevich CB Pavel Zabelin RWB Vadim Pigas CM Max Ebonh CM Valery Bocherov AMC Valery Gromyko AMC German Barkovski FW Yevgeni Shikavka. Comfortable on either foot, he scored a wonderful goal against Luxembourg in

Andy Greeves takes a closer look at Belarus ahead of this evening’s Nations League game in Belfast. LOWDOWN Belarus were unbeaten in their opening four UEFA Nations League Group C3 fixtures. Their campaign began in September with a goalless draw with Bulgaria in a ‘home’ match staged at the ZTE Arena at Zalaegerszeg in Hungary, while they triumphed 1-0 away to Luxembourg thanks to a goal from Valery Gromyko. October saw Carlos Alós’ side return to Zalaegerszeg to play two further ‘home’ matches behind closed doors as they drew 0-0 with Northern Ireland and 1-1 with Luxembourg – a game in which defender Sergei Politevich was on target. Having joined FIFA in 1992 following the break up of the Soviet Union, Belarus first entered a qualifying campaign for a major tournament for UEFA Euro 1996. The ‘White Wings’ are yet to make it to a major competition. By winning the 2018-19 UEFA Nations League Group D2, they competed in a qualifying play off for the first time but were defeated 1-0 by Georgia in the semi-finals. Ranked as high as 36th in the world in February 2011, when their squad included Barcelona midfielder Alexander Hleb, Alós’ team are currently 97th in the FIFA World Rankings.

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