BATE vs Af Elbasani Prediction 16 July 2026

In the Belarusian Premier League, the team currently sit second from bottom with just nine points from 14 matches, seemingly bracing themselves for relegation. With only a single win all season, it’s a worrying sign for a club long accustomed to domestic dominance. Vitaly Rogozhkin’s coaching staff have been striving to steady the ship, but results remain disappointing: BATE are winless in their last four outings and have conceded in eight consecutive games.

Last week against Elbasani, BATE deliberately ceded possession and focused on playing on the counter. The strategy paid off, despite the opposition’s superiority, the Yellow-Blues managed to score and come away with a draw. Yegor Rusakov, a 20-year-old academy product, netted his first European goal. It’s clear that in the return leg, the Belarusian side will once again rely on counterattacks and willingly surrender the initiative.

The Albanian side were expected to settle things at home, but fell short. They dominated possession with 61%, fired off 15 shots - six of them on target - and launched 67 dangerous attacks, but managed to convert just once. Clearly, last season’s Albanian runners-up had hoped for a better result on their own turf.

The new domestic campaign in Albania doesn’t kick off until late August, so Elbasani can devote their full attention to European qualification. Ivan Gvozdenović has brought in a host of new signings who still need time to gel, but judging by their first leg against BATE, that process is already well underway. Add in a streak of 13 consecutive away matches with goals scored, and there’s every reason for optimism heading into the return fixture.