The Belarus Cup quarterfinals bring together two sides with vastly different momentum as Slavia Mozyr hosts Arsenal Dzerzhinsk at the Stadion Junost. Slavia Mozyr enters this first-leg encounter as the heavy favorite, primarily due to their formidable recent form.

They have managed to secure four wins in their last five matches, including tactical masterclasses against Belshina and Dnepr Mogilev. Their home advantage in Mozyr is significant; the team tends to play with a high defensive line that squeezes the midfield, a strategy that has seen them keep clean sheets in 60% of their recent home victories.

The synergy between their midfield anchors and the attacking wingers allows them to transition rapidly, often catching opponents off-guard in the opening 20 minutes.Arsenal Dzerzhinsk, by contrast, is enduring a difficult period.

Their recent results are dotted with “L” markers, including a heavy 4-0 loss to Baranovichi and a recent friendly defeat against Gomel. While they did manage a grit-and-grind 1-0 win over BATE earlier in the year, consistency remains their greatest enemy.

Statistically, Arsenal struggles on the road, where they have conceded an average of 1.8 goals per game over their last ten away trips. The head-to-head history shows a competitive edge, with the last three league meetings resulting in two draws and a narrow 1-0 win for Arsenal back in late 2025.

However, the 2026 version of Slavia looks much more balanced. Expect Slavia Mozyr to dominate the ball possession, likely hovering around the 55-60% mark. Arsenal will likely deploy a “low block” defensive system, hoping to frustrate the hosts and snatch a crucial away goal on the counter-attack.

However, given that Slavia has scored in every home game this season, the pressure will eventually tell. The tactical battle will likely be won in the wide areas, where Slavia’s overlapping fullbacks create 2-on-1 situations that Arsenal’s tired defense has struggled to track in recent weeks. A controlled 2-0 or 1-0 win for the home side is the most statistically probable outcome for this first-leg tie.