Bate Borisov vs FC Sion

BATE made the brighter start and took the lead in the 16th minute. Egor Rusakov played a pass through for Vladislav Varaksa, who finished with a right-footed shot to register his first goal of the tournament. The Belarusian side, playing their home leg on neutral ground due to the ongoing suspension of Belarusian clubs from hosting UEFA matches at home, held the lead for 26 minutes.

Sion responded with sustained pressure, holding 66% of possession across the match. The equaliser arrived three minutes before half-time: Rilind Nivokazi provided the assist for Winsley Boteli Mokango, who scored with a right-footed shot to make it 1-1 at the break — a scoreline that would not change in the second half.

The match shifted decisively in Sion's favour after the opening 15 minutes following BATE's goal. The Swiss side, under manager Didier Tholot, dominated the ball and created 23 shots to BATE's nine, with eight on target compared to the home side's two. But BATE's rearguard, organised in a 3-1-4-2 shape, held firm. BATE made five substitutions — including introducing Yuriy Kovalev and Egor Kress — to preserve the stalemate, while Sion's four changes, including the introduction of Franck Surdez and Ilyas Chouaref, could not find a winner.

Vladislav Varaksa (BATE Borisov) — Scored the opening goal with a composed finish and led the line effectively before being substituted in the 78th minute. His movement caused problems for the Sion defence throughout.

Winsley Boteli Mokango (FC Sion) — The Sion striker levelled with a well-taken right-footed finish just before half-time, his first goal of the qualifying campaign. A constant threat with his hold-up play.

Arseniy Skopets (BATE Borisov) — The BATE goalkeeper made seven saves to keep the score level, facing 23 shots and denying Sion on multiple occasions in the second half.

Player of the Match: Arseniy Skopets (BATE Borisov) — His saves were the difference between a draw and a defeat for the Belarusian side.

The raw stats tell a story of Sion dominance that the 1-1 scoreline does not fully capture. Sion's 66% possession and 23 shots (eight on target) reflect a side that controlled the game after the 15th minute. BATE's 34% possession and two shots on target underline their defensive approach once ahead. Three yellow cards — two for BATE, one for Sion — pointed to a disciplined but competitive contest. The shot count disparity (23-9) underscores how much defending BATE had to do after taking the lead.

The draw leaves the tie wide open ahead of the second leg in Switzerland on 30 July 2026. Sion will be confident of progressing given their home advantage and the volume of chances they created in the first leg. BATE, who eliminated Elbasani on penalties in the first qualifying round after a 1-1 aggregate draw, have shown resilience in knockout situations. The winner will advance to the third qualifying round of the UEFA Europa Conference League.

For BATE, this was their second competitive match of the 2026-27 European campaign. For Sion, it was their first appearance in Europe since the 2017-18 UEFA Europa League.

A fair result on the balance of play. Sion will rue their wastefulness in front of goal, while BATE will take confidence from a disciplined defensive display on neutral ground. The second leg in Switzerland will likely see Sion carry the momentum, but BATE have shown they can absorb pressure and strike on the counter.