Braga have the opportunity to draw level on points with Porto when both sides face off in this weekend’s high-profile clash of Primeira Liga round 25.
A disappointing defeat to Rio Ave last weekend saw the Archbishops slip three points behind the visitors, who strengthened their position in third place with a comfortable victory over Arouca in their own gameweek 24 fixture.
Match preview
Following a painful Taca de Portugal exit at the hands of Benfica, Braga failed to find solace in the league as they suffered a 2-1 defeat on their trip to Rio Ave.
Carlos Carvalhal‘s side had briefly restored parity through Fran Navarro just 10 minutes after Clayton put the hosts ahead, but that effort was ultimately futile as they conceded a winner to Jonathan Panzo in the 70th minute.
That loss ended their six-match unbeaten run in the league, leaving Braga in fourth place with 47 points, but more worryingly, it turned their goal difference disadvantage behind third-placed Porto into a three-point gap.
While the Archbishops will be eager to overturn that deficit with a win this weekend, their recent home record in this fixture does not offer much encouragement, having suffered defeat in two of their last three encounters across all competitions and drawing the other.
Looking elsewhere for inspiration, Braga can take confidence from their impressive form on their own turf in recent weeks, winning each of the last five matches at the ground.
Three of those victories have come in the Primeira Liga, contributing to their 21-point tally from 12 home matches — the seventh-best record in the division.
Their recent success at the Estadio Municipal has been built on defensive solidity, with Braga keeping clean sheets in each of those wins, making their six goals scored all the more valuable, and they will be hoping this trend continues against Porto.
Meanwhile, the Dragons will look to extend their dominance over the hosts, having emerged victorious in each of their last five meetings across all competitions, including a 2-1 triumph in the reverse fixture last October.
Porto enter this weekend’s showdown on the back of a 2-0 win at Arouca, with Samu Aghehowa converting from the penalty spot in the 12th minute before Fabio Vieira sealed the victory in the 77th minute.
That result stretched their unbeaten league run to six matches, though it was only their second triumph in that stretch, as they have struggled to turn draws into victories in recent weeks.
Their inconsistency can largely be attributed to their defensive frailties, with Porto dropping points in four of those games when conceding, while both their wins in that run have come with clean sheets.
Interestingly, those triumphs were secured on the road, and Martín Anselmi‘s side will be looking to build on that as they chase three consecutive away league victories for the first time this season.
Team News
Braga could be without Roger Fernandes after the right winger was forced off injured against Rio Ave, with Gabriel Martinez, who replaced him in that match, likely to step in from the start this time.
Should Fernandes be ruled out, he will join an injury list that already includes Rodrigo Zalazar, Sikou Niakate and Vitor Carvalho.
As for Porto, they finished the game against Arouca without any fresh injury concerns, meaning Pepe, Marko Grujic and Rodrigo Mora are expected to remain sidelined for this encounter.
However, they will have to make do without Vieira, who will serve a suspension after exceeding the yellow card threshold following his booking last time out.
After delivering a decisive performance against Arouca, Aghehowa is set to lead the line once again as he aims to add to his 14-goal league tally.
Braga possible starting lineup:
Hornicek; Gomez, Oliveira, Bambu, Chissumba; Moutinho, Gorby; Gharbi, Horta, Martinez; Navarro
Porto possible starting lineup:
Costa; Perez, Marcano, Otavio; Moura, Varela, Eustaquio, Joao Mario; Loader, Aghehowa, Borges
We say: Braga 1-1 Porto
This is a battle between a visiting side that has thrived on the road in recent outings and a home team that has turned their ground into a fortress.
With both teams building their recent success on defensive resilience, a tightly contested encounter is expected, making a low-scoring draw the likely outcome.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
