Benfica vs Braga - prediction, team news, lineups

Benfica invited Braga to Estadio da Luz for the penultimate fixture of the 2025-26 Primeira Liga campaign, knowing triumph would determination them a measurement person to securing Champions League qualification.

With Porto already crowned champions, 2nd spot remains the lone berth for Europe’s elite competition, and the Eagles presently inhabit that presumption successful the Portuguese top-flight table acknowledgment to a superior head-to-head grounds implicit third-placed Sporting Lisbon.

Match preview

Benfica caput into this brushwood connected the backmost of a frustrating 2-2 gully distant astatine Famalicao past Saturday, successful a contention wherever a deficiency of subject yet proved costly, arsenic Jose Mourinho’s broadside surrendered a two-goal lead.

Having raced into power done first-half strikes from Andreas Schjelderup and Richard Rios, the Eagles appeared connected people for different important triumph earlier Nicolas Otamendi’s 55th-minute dismissal shifted the momentum, allowing the hosts to combat their mode backmost into the game.

While that effect saw Benfica’s two-point cushion implicit Sporting reduced to lone a head-to-head advantage, it besides brought an extremity to the Eagles’ three-match winning streak successful the league, though they stay unbeaten successful their past 47 Primeira Liga outings (W37, D10), a tally stretching backmost to past season.

The Reds person besides continued to impressment successful the last third, scoring 2 oregon much goals successful 11 of their past 12 league matches, with lone Sporting’s 82 surpassing Benfica’s tally of 69 successful the part this season.

That attacking spot has been particularly evident astatine Da Luz, wherever Mourinho’s broadside person scored aggregate goals successful each of their past 5 league outings, winning 4 of those matches, and they volition anticipation that firepower proves decisive again connected Monday.

Braga, meanwhile, besides suffered vexation successful their astir caller outing, arsenic Mario Dorgeles’ aboriginal reddish paper played a immense relation successful Thursday’s 3-1 decision astatine Freiburg, a effect that ended the Arsenalistas’ Europa League travel successful a 4-3 aggregate loss.

That setback means Carlos Vicens’ broadside are present without a triumph successful consecutive matches, having antecedently been held to a 1-1 gully by Estoril Praia successful the league, wherever Dorgeles’ opener was cancelled retired aft the interruption by Yanis Begraoui.

As such, Braga person managed conscionable 2 victories from their past 5 Primeira Liga outings, though they stay firmly successful power of 4th place, sitting 5 points wide of fifth-placed Famalicao, meaning a gully present would beryllium capable to mathematically unafraid a top-four decorativeness owed to their superior head-to-head record.

The Archbishops person besides been resilient connected the roadworthy this season, avoiding decision successful 12 of their 16 distant league matches (W8, D4, L4), and they volition instrumentality added assurance from their caller grounds successful this matchup, having avoided decision successful each of the past 3 Primeira Liga meetings with Benfica (W2, D1), including a 2-2 gully successful the reverse fixture.
 

Benfica Primeira Liga form:

Braga Primeira Liga form:

Braga signifier (all competitions):

Team News

Benfica are expected to stay without Tomas Araujo, who has missed the past 2 matches with a musculus problem, portion Joao Veloso is inactive sidelined with a enarthrosis injury.

Otamendi's suspension leaves Benfica abbreviated of options defensively, meaning Enzo Barrenechea could beryllium asked to deputise alongside Antonio Silva, with midfielder Richard Rios besides unavailable aft reaching the ninth-booking threshold.

Meanwhile, Vangelis Pavlidis, who has scored 21 league goals this season, could instrumentality to the starting lineup aft being near unused from the seat past clip out, perchance seeing Franjo Ivanovic driblet retired of the side.

As for Braga, nine skipper Ricardo Horta returned to the squad arsenic an unused substitute against Freiburg aft a little wounded layoff and could diagnostic from the commencement here.

However, the visitors are inactive expected to beryllium without Diego Rodrigues, Bright Arrey-Mbi, Adrian Barisic, Florian Grillitsch and Sikou Niakate owed to fittingness issues.
 

Benfica imaginable starting lineup:

Trubin; Dedic, A Silva, Barrenechea, Dahl; M Silva, Aursnes; Schjelderup, Barreiro, Prestianni; Pavlidis

Braga imaginable starting lineup:

Hornicek; Lagerbielke, V Carvalho, Oliveira; Martinez, Moutinho, Tiknaz, Gorby, V Gomez; Zalazar, Horta

We say: Benfica 2-1 Braga

Meetings betwixt these sides person seldom been straightforward for Benfica successful caller years, but the Eagles participate this clash with the vantage of fresher legs aft a afloat week of rest, dissimilar Braga, who are coming disconnected a draining European travel to Germany.

The visitors person besides shown signs of inconsistency successful caller weeks, and portion they person capable prime to marque things difficult, the Eagles’ attacking spot astatine Da Luz should assistance them borderline a constrictive but important victory.

For information investigation of the astir apt results, scorelines and much for this lucifer delight click here.