Hot dance in Tirana
When the Albanian champions meet last season’s third-placed team from Belarus, excitement is guaranteed. Both cherish the dream of reaching the group stage and are reluctant to concede a defeat on their first appearance. As is often the case at the beginning of the season, most teams are still finding their feet. This is also evident when looking at Partizani Tirana vs. BATE Borisov and the betting odds.
The starting position is clear before the match. In the home match, they should probably claim victory in the Albanian capital if they don’t want to face BATE and their fans in the second leg. If you go by the UEFA club coefficients, Tirana have a slight advantage, as their domestic association is ranked 48th, two places above Belarus. To what extent this influences the view of Partizani Tirana and BATE Borisov, including any forecasts, remains to be seen, of course.
What is probably a clear advantage for the visitors away from UEFA rankings and preparations is their current form. While the Albanian league went on summer break at the end of May and does not start again until August, Belarus play a one-year championship and are currently on 14 matchdays there. Borisov are only fourth, ten points behind Dinamo Minsk, but they are playing regularly. That may also be one reason why the odds are quite good for an away win for Partizani Tirana against BATE Borisov.
Partizani – Statistics & current form
The Albanian champions invite you to the dance. After the club could put on the league crown for only the second time in this millennium after 2019, the qualification for the Champions League is now in the offing as a reward. This begins with an unpleasant task, as BATE, a very experienced team on the European stage, comes to Tirana.
Partizani without major international successes
By the way, that is exactly what is not true of Partizani. Although they have competed in every European competition since the 1960s, the Albanians have rarely been successful. Their greatest success was undoubtedly their victory in the Balkans Cup in 1970, which is also the only cup in which the capital city team made it to the group stage. In all other competitions (Champions League, Europa League, UEFA Cup, UI Cup, Conference League), Partizani Tirana regularly fail to qualify. This makes the hosts a virtual blank slate. This is also evident when looking at the profiles of Partizani Tirana, BATE Borisov and the corresponding odds.
Multicultural Tirana
This year’s squad might surprise you. There are 13 legionnaires in the 29-player squad. With Senegal, Congo and Ghana, there are mainly African players in the team. But there is also a Brazilian, a couple of players from northern Macedonia, as well as Kosovars and a Croatian. This mix can possibly compensate somewhat for the inexperience at the club. However, with a total of roughly 6.2 million euros in market value, there is a lightweight of international football on the field. This is also evident when comparing Partizani Tirana against BATE Borisov predictions.
Will Zekic lead Partizani Tirana to success?
The Albanian champions’ first competitive match under new management will be exciting in any case. The Croatian Zoran Zekic has only been in charge since 1 July 2023. He has therefore hardly been able to instil a clear playing philosophy in the squad – but possibly an idea of winning. With Sheriff Tiraspol, Zekic was both champion and cup winner. Although the league is not too competitive, it also requires strong nerves. They showed that in the 2023 league final and with most of the squad still in place, they may be able to capitalise on that title run (Partizani finished level on points with arch-rivals KF thanks to the direct comparison).
Predicted Partizani line-up:
No information available.
Last matches of Partizani:
Categoria Superiore
- 29/05/2023 – Partizani 2 – 0 Teuta Durres
- 25/05/2023 – Kastrioti 1 – 4 Partizani
- 21/05/2023 – Partizani 2 – 1 Vllaznia
- 17/05/2023 – KF Tirana 1 – 1 Partizani
- 06/05/2023 – Partizani 3 – 1 Kukesi
BATE Borisov – Statistics & current form
Same place, same wave: that’s how BATE Borisov’s anchormancy in a European competition could read. In this millennium, the club only failed to reach a qualifying stage in 2003. That is quite respectable in a league with a total market value of roughly 54 million. By way of comparison, the Austrian Bundesliga has a total market value of over 396 million and, apart from Red Bull, probably has no such fixed starters to offer.
BATE relies on the youth
One reason for this combination of budget and success may well be the strong focus on home-grown players. In the current squad, there are only four legionnaires out of a total of 26 players. The age average of 22.7 years further underlines this. The team often works with smaller loans or purchases in its own league. This not only promotes identification with the team, but also provides playing practice and develops talent. These can then be sold at a high price. Fittingly, the current transfer balance sheet shows a plus of 230,000 euros.
Alsheviskiy should bring BATE Borisov into the CL
It helps that Kirill Alsheviskiy, a Belarusian, has been on the sidelines since October 2022. He is not only a compatriot, but also a real expert on the subject. He began his coaching career in the youth departments of BATE and Dinamo Minsk, the two major powers from Belarus. In between and after that, the youth sections of the national team were on the agenda before he was able to win the national cup as head coach of BATE in 2019. After a brief stint abroad, Alsheviskiy is now back “at home” and almost won his second trophy at the first attempt (a 2-0 defeat in the final against Torpedo BelAZ Zhodino).
BATE’s mixed league season
The coach, however, cannot deny the fact that the team has been rather mixed so far this season. After 14 matchdays, they are in fourth place with six wins, four draws and four defeats. The ten-point gap to league leaders Neman Grodno and Dinamo Minsk is probably just as painful as the five-point difference to third-placed Zhodino. Not only because they lost the Cup final against this opponent, but also because they occupy the last place in the European Cup. The fact that BATE usually play in an attacking 4-3-3 is only partly reflected in their goal difference (20:14). A supposedly weaker opponent in the European Cup could well be good for a turnaround.
Predicted line-up of BATE Borisov:
No information at hand.
Last matches played by BATE Borisov:
Premier League
- 07/07/2023 – BATE Baryssau 2 – 0 Shakhtyor Salihorsk
- 02/07/2023 – Nyoman Hrodna 0 – 1 BATE Baryssau
- 26/06/2023 – BATE Baryssau 1 – 2 Naftan Nawapolazk
- 04/06/2023 – FK Sluzk 1 – 0 BATE Baryssau
Cup
- 28/05/2023 – BATE Baryssau 0 – 2 Torpedo Shodzina
Partizani – BATE Borisov Direct comparison / H2H-balance
The direct comparison is quickly explained. There have been no professional clashes between the two teams. In fact, on Partizani’s side, there is generally no match against an opponent from Belarus. Conversely, BATE Borisov in its current incarnation (reactivation of the club in 1996, after its dissolution in 1984) has played only two matches against Albanian teams to date. In 2014, they knocked Skenderbeu out of the Champions League second qualifying round on the away goals rule (0-0 at home and 1-1 away). This should not have a big impact on bookmakers’ picks for Partizani Tirana against BATE Borisov.
Partizani – BATE Borisov bet
Gauged by Partizani’s European adventures so far, the Albanians have a big chunk ahead of them. Not only is BATE generally quite experienced on the European stage, the Belarusians also have the advantage of a running league on their side. So there is little to suggest that the home team will be successful. A look at the UEFA rankings also shows the gap between the opponents (Partizani rank 260, BATE rank 107). If anything can help, it is probably the weather. With 36 degrees Celsius forecast, it will be a different game to the 20 degrees or so in Borisov.
However, when the weather comes up as the home team’s best friend in an analysis, it is unmistakable which tendency this duel is likely to take. With a fair amount of match practice and the experience from Europe (last time not in a Quali in 2003), the men from Belarus are clear favourites. The heat will not be pleasant, but professional footballers should be able to cope with it. Coupled with an opponent who has not yet made any great leaps outside of his home country, the trump cards are on the side of the guests. That’s why Partizani Tirana vs BATE Borisov tip 2 is at the top of our list.
