The first leg of this match saw Irish side St Patrick’s Athletic secure a vital away goal in their 1-1 draw away to favourites Dinamo Minsk. This match could again prove to be another upset.
St Patrick’s are the clear underdogs here but they have already come through a Europa League qualifier this season, overcoming Jeunesse Esch of Luxembourg on away goals. This should be a great night at what is likely to be a packed Richmond Park as fans flock to see their team try to pull off an upset. They won their home match against Jeunesse 1-0, proving they are able to keep clean sheets at home. Additionally, as previously mentioned, St Pat’s have the vital away goal which could prove decisive.
Dinamo Minsk, based in the Belarusian capital, are always in the shadow of rivals BATE Borisov. However, despite this they have reached the Europa League group stages in the last two seasons so their continental pedigree should not be underestimated.
Although Sergei Borovsky’s Dinamo side are the favourites for this, I fancy St Pat’s at 15/4. The Dublin side have a vital away goal so the pressure is one Dinamo to match them and they could easily get chances on the counter. Liam Buckley’s side are seemingly solid defensively, especially at home, where they will have the backing of a partisan home crowd.
Furthermore, we have seen some shock results in both the Europa League and Champions League qualifiers so far and therefore I would not be surprised to see this trend continue.
See more of our Europa League tips here.