MINSK (Interstat) — Baranovici scored three times and defeated FC Minsk 3-1 on Friday, taking control with goals in the 42nd and 46th minutes and then preserving the result after the home side pulled one back. Martin Artyukh opened the scoring for Baranovici in the 42nd minute, and Fedor Lebedev doubled the advantage in the 46th. Stanislav Matusevich cut the deficit for FC Minsk in the 68th, and Ersultan Torekul also scored during a 16-minute appearance as Baranovici completed its three-goal total. Baranovici moved to 1-2 in the competition and 1-2 overall. FC Minsk fell to 0-3 in the competition and 0-3-1 overall. The visitors’ scoring was enough to secure their first victory of the season in the competition and overall.

Artyukh’s goal came in an 82-minute performance, while Lebedev scored in 74 minutes. Vadim Balbuh played the full 90 and recorded an assist for Baranovici, giving the visitors another attacking contributor without needing a goal. Matusevich scored in 23 minutes for FC Minsk, and Torekul scored in 16 minutes for Baranovici. Alibi Tuzakbayev supplied an assist in 74 minutes, and Arseni Migdalenok assisted for FC Minsk in 23 minutes. Baranovici’s goals from Artyukh and Lebedev around halftime gave the visitors a cushion, and FC Minsk could not produce another goal after Matusevich’s 68th-minute strike. Torekul’s goal added to Baranovici’s total, and the visitors finished with the three-goal haul.

FC Minsk’s Jarjue Kabia was shown a yellow card in the 65th minute, and Abena was booked in the 86th. FC Minsk made substitutions in the 55th minute with Sokol and Yatskevich, in the 67th with Ksenofontov and Gomis, and in the 76th with Dubinets. Baranovici made 74th-minute substitutions involving Lebedev, Petrenko and Tuzakbayev, then made 82nd-minute changes involving Bondarenko and Artyukh. The cards and changes did not change the final outcome, as Baranovici maintained its advantage after the early second-half surge. FC Minsk’s late bookings came as it tried to mount a final push, but the home side could not add to its one goal. Baranovici’s defense held after the home side’s goal, and FC Minsk could not find a second goal.

The result gave Baranovici its first win of the season after earlier losses to Vitebsk and Neman. Baranovici had lost 0-1 at home to Vitebsk and 0-3 at Neman. FC Minsk remained without a win after a 2-4 loss at Isloch, a 0-1 loss at home to Zhodino and a 0-0 draw at home against Arsenal Dzerzhinsk. Baranovici’s competition record and overall record both stood at 1-2 after the match, while FC Minsk’s competition record fell to 0-3 and its overall record to 0-3-1. The home side had entered the match seeking its first victory of the campaign, and the loss left it still searching for that result. Baranovici had lost its first two competition matches, and FC Minsk remained winless to start the campaign.

Baranovici had been held scoreless in its two previous matches this season, losing to Vitebsk and Neman. FC Minsk’s previous results included a high-scoring loss at Isloch, a narrow home loss to Zhodino and a scoreless home draw with Arsenal Dzerzhinsk. Those results left Baranovici at 0-2 and FC Minsk at 0-2-1 in all competitions before the match on Friday, and the final whistle moved both records again. Baranovici’s win was its first in the competition and overall, while FC Minsk remained without a victory in either category.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of FC Minsk 1, Baranovici 0. Interstat’s ELO system had projected FC Minsk with a 63.2 percent probability to win. FC Minsk had been installed as the pregame favorite with a spread of minus-0.5. The total score of 4 went under the over/under line of 2.5.