Casa Pia vs Braga - prediction, team news, lineups

Braga person different accidental to tighten their grip connected 4th spot successful the Primeira Liga table arsenic they question to Casa Pia for their rescheduled matchday 26 fixture connected Thursday.

Currently 5 points wide of fifth-placed Famalicao, triumph for the Archbishops present would widen that spread to eight, portion the 16th-placed hosts beryllium 2 points adrift of information and could ascent to 14th with a win.

Match preview

Entering past weekend’s all-Minho brushwood 5 points wide of Famalicao, Braga would person relished the accidental to widen the spread to their fifth-placed visitors, but the Archbishops were alternatively near scrambling to debar defeat.

In a contention wherever Carlos Vicens’ men took the pb done Fran Navarro wrong 2 minutes, goals from Gil Dias and Rafa Soares turned the crippled connected its head, leaving them staring down decision earlier a 99th-minute punishment from Ricardo Horta rescued a 2-2 draw.

Braga are present unbeaten successful 5 games crossed each competitions (W3, D2), a tally that has seen the Arsenalistas scope the Europa League semi-finals for the archetypal clip since 2010-11, portion besides extending their top-flight series to 3 matches without a nonaccomplishment (W2, D1).

Already destined to decorativeness extracurricular the apical three, the Archbishops beryllium a staggering 18 points down third-placed Sporting Lisbon with 5 games remaining and volition alternatively absorption connected securing 4th spot erstwhile again, having finished determination successful 10 of the past 15 campaigns, including past term.

That said, Braga volition beryllium assured of claiming triumph connected Thursday, fixed they person won 3 of their past 4 distant league matches (L1), 2 of which came against bottom-two sides AVS and Tondela, underlining their authorization against relegation-threatened opposition.

Meanwhile, Casa Pia’s late-season endurance conflict has been shaped by their struggles to unafraid wins, arsenic Alvaro Pacheco’s broadside are presently connected a seven-game winless tally (D4, L3), with lone already-relegated AVS enduring a longer drought successful the division.

Alternating betwixt draws and defeats crossed their past 5 outings, the Geese participate this brushwood pursuing a goalless stalemate against Santa Clara, further highlighting their issues successful the last third.

Casa Pia person present failed to people successful 5 of their past 9 matches, with their tally of 28 goals the fourth-fewest successful the division, portion lone AVS (62) and Arouca (58) person conceded much than Os Gansos’ 52 successful the league this season.

However, the Geese person been coagulated connected location soil, wherever they are unbeaten successful 7 matches (W2, D5), a tally that includes a triumph implicit leaders Porto and a gully against Benfica, and Pacheco’s men volition beryllium aiming to present different beardown show against top-four opposition.

There is further encouragement successful the information that Casa Pia won their astir caller location gathering with Braga, meaning they person claimed triumph successful 2 of the past 3 encounters betwixt the sides, though Os Gansos did endure a 4-0 decision successful this season’s reverse fixture.
 

Casa Pia Primeira Liga form:

Braga Primeira Liga form:

Braga signifier (all competitions):

Team News

Casa Pia are acceptable to beryllium without semipermanent absentee Kiki Silva erstwhile again arsenic helium continues his betterment from a genu injury, portion goalkeeper Ricardo Batista has remained sidelined since February.

Veteran defender Jose Fonte, who has missed the past 3 matchday squads, is simply a large doubt, portion Xander Severina has besides been unavailable crossed the past 11 matches.

Meanwhile, on-loan attacker Joao Marques is ineligible to look his genitor club, truthful helium volition play nary portion here, with Dailon Livramento, Tiago Morais oregon Korede Osundina successful contention to diagnostic connected the near broadside of the attack.

Cassiano is expected to pb the enactment erstwhile again and volition beryllium aiming to rediscover his scoring interaction aft failing to find the nett successful his past 5 appearances.

As for Braga, Adrian Barisic is inactive dealing with a musculus injury, portion Sikou Niakate remains sidelined with an Achilles tendon issue.

Midfielder Diego Rodrigues volition besides miss retired owed to an ankle problem, portion Bright Arrey-Mbi could beryllium absent for a 2nd successive lucifer done carnal discomfort.

Despite returning from a musculus wounded arsenic an unused substitute successful a erstwhile outing, Rodrigo Zalazar was absent from the squad past weekend, casting uncertainty implicit his availability for Thursday.
 

Casa Pia imaginable starting lineup:

Sequeira; Goulart, Kaly, Sousa; Larrazabal, Mohamed, Brito, Rosas; Livolant, Cassiano, Livramento

Braga imaginable starting lineup:

Hornicek; Lagerbielke, V Carvalho, Moscardo; Gomez, Gorby, Grillitsch, Lelo; Tiknaz, Horta; Victor

We say: Casa Pia 1-1 Braga

While Casa Pia person been unconvincing successful caller weeks, they person remained resilient connected location soil, and we expect the Geese to beryllium a pugnacious broadside to interruption down connected Thursday, peculiarly with endurance inactive astatine stake.

Braga person besides not ever recovered this fixture straightforward, truthful we are backing a gully here, successful enactment with each of the hosts’ past 3 location matches.
 

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