Braga vs Estoril Praia - prediction, team news, lineups

Fresh from a important first-leg triumph successful the Europa League semi-final, Braga invited Estoril Praia to the Estadio Municipal de Braga connected Sunday, knowing that immoderate slip-up could impact their hopes of securing European shot for adjacent season.

The hosts stay firmly successful presumption for a Conference League spot, but with 3 games near to play, Famalicao 5 points down and a demanding fixture database piling up, managing absorption betwixt home responsibilities and continental ambitions is becoming progressively delicate.

Match preview

Braga travel into this fixture connected the backmost of a 2-1 triumph successful the archetypal limb of their Europa League semi-final against German broadside SC Freiburg, with Mario Dorgeles scoring heavy into stoppage clip to manus them a slender vantage heading into the instrumentality limb adjacent week.

With that occupation partially done, the Archbishops indispensable rapidly displacement their attraction backmost to home matters, wherever they suffered a 2-1 decision distant to Santa Clara successful their past league outing, bringing an extremity to a six-match unbeaten tally crossed each competitions.

While they borderline person to a imaginable archetypal large European trophy, Carlos Vicens’ broadside cognize they indispensable clasp connected to 4th spot to warrant European shot adjacent play should their continental propulsion autumn short, and that leaves them walking a tightrope heading into the last 3 league matches, 1 of which comes against the seemingly unstoppable Benfica.

There is astatine slightest immoderate comfortableness successful the information that Braga stay astatine location pursuing their midweek exertions, avoiding question fatigue – still, the request to cautiously negociate vigor levels up of a demanding travel to Germany connected Thursday adds different furniture of complexity to this encounter.

Interestingly, the Archbishops fell 1-0 to Estoril earlier this season, ending a ascendant 15-match unbeaten tally successful this fixture (11W, 4D), and portion they person not mislaid astatine location to the visitors since 2000 – a agelong spanning 13 matches (10W, 3D) – the past 2 meetings connected this crushed person ended level, an result that would bash small to service their existent ambitions.

Estoril, meanwhile, get abbreviated connected assurance aft losing each of their past 5 matches, failing to people successful their past 2 outings with narrow 1-0 defeats to Moreirense and Famalicao.

Before that, the Canarinhos were progressive successful a drawstring of defeats – 3-1 to Porto, 3-2 to Arouca, and 2-1 to Rio Ave – a tally that has dragged them down to 10th spot with 37 points, albeit with their top-flight presumption already secure.

A large interest for manager Ian Cathro volition beryllium his side’s antiaircraft frailties, arsenic Estoril person conceded 52 goals this season, with lone 3 teams faring worse.

At their existent complaint of 1.68 goals conceded per game, they are connected people to match, oregon adjacent surpass, their antiaircraft struggles from caller campaigns wherever they conceded 53 past play and 58 the play before.

Braga Primeira Liga form:

Braga signifier (all competitions):

Estoril Praia Primeira Liga form:

Team News

Braga are expected to stay without Adrian Marín (groin), Sikou Niakate (Achilles) and Diego Rodrigues (ankle), each of whom are sidelined done injury.

Bright Arrey-Mbi has besides missed the past 4 matches and is apt to stay out, portion Gorby is suspended owed to accumulated yellowish cards, and Ricardo Horta is simply a uncertainty aft picking up a sound against Freiburg.

Vicens whitethorn opt to rotate his squad with 1 oculus connected Thursday’s decisive 2nd leg, and Dorgeles could beryllium rewarded with a commencement aft his match-winning cameo successful midweek.

Estoril caput into this clash with less wounded concerns, though they volition inactive beryllium without Kevin Boma (muscle) and Longin Bimai, who has been sidelined since March.

Martin Turk has started the past 2 matches and is expected to support his spot successful goal, portion overmuch of the attacking work volition erstwhile again autumn connected Yanis Begraoui arsenic helium leads the line.

Braga imaginable starting lineup:

Hornicek; Gomez, Carvalho, Oliveira, Lagerbielke; Tiknaz, Moutinho, da Rocha; Zalazar, Victor, Dorgeles

Estoril Praia imaginable starting lineup:

Turk; Ferreira, Bacher, Tsoungui; Sanchez, Xeka, Holsgrove, Amaral; Guitane, Begraoui, J. Carvalho

We say: Braga 1-0 Estoril Praia

Braga’s attraction whitethorn beryllium divided astatine a important constituent successful the season, and that could unfastened the doorway somewhat for Estoril – still, the hosts person capable prime and power – particularly connected location ungraded – to borderline a choky contention against a broadside that has struggled severely for assurance successful caller weeks.

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