BATE Borisov and ten-man Partizan are playing out a goalless draw in their Champions League playoff first leg at the Borisov Arena.
Just four minutes in, Mikhail Gordejchuk latched on to an accurate pass inside the box for the hosts and fired a low shot towards the right post that Zivko Zivkovic smartly palmed away.
Vitali Rodionov then threatened for BATE three minutes later when he rose above the defence to head a precise cross towards the goal, but once again the Partizan goalkeeper was equal to it.
BATE continued to press and just after the quarter-hour mark came within a whisker of opening the scoring once again, but as previously, Zivkovic pulled off another acrobatic save to thwart Rodionov.
The Partizan goalkeeper was impervious in goal and was one of the main reasons why his side were still level at the break.
However, his job will be made harder in the second half as Marko Jevtovic was sent off for a second bookable offence on the stroke of half time.
Giuseppe Labellarte
