Nacional vs Braga - prediction, team news, lineups

Nacional volition look to extremity their alarming tally of defeats erstwhile they invited Braga to the Estadio da Madeira connected Sunday, with some sides entering the contention nether caller absorption aft hard spells of results.

The hosts beryllium 16th successful the Liga Portugal table with conscionable 4 points from 8 matches, portion the Minho visitors inhabit eighth spot with 11 points aft losing 3 consecutive games earlier Thursday's Conference League triumph implicit Gent.

Match preview

Nacional finished 14th successful some of the erstwhile 2 seasons, having returned to the Portuguese apical formation successful 2024-25 but person endured a miserable commencement to the 2026-27 campaign, with managerial instability compounding their struggles connected the pitch.

After collecting 4 points from their opening 2 fixtures, the Madeira nine person suffered six successive league defeats against Vitoria de Guimaraes, Estrela Amadora, Sporting Lisbon, Alverca, Famalicao, and Rio Ave, going down 3-2 to the second contempt their opponents having a subordinate sent off.

The Alvinegros person present conceded aggregate goals successful each of their past 5 top-flight outings, leaving them with the division's worst antiaircraft grounds aft shipping 18 goals portion managing conscionable 9 astatine the different end.

Nacional’s struggles continued astatine the play erstwhile they were eliminated from the Taca de Portugal pursuing a 1-0 decision distant to third-tier Sanjoanense, prompting Alexandre Santos's dismissal little than six weeks aft helium replaced Joao Giao.

The assignment of Joao Henriques offers the imaginable of a caller start, though the experienced Portuguese manager whitethorn person to hold to instrumentality complaint of his archetypal match, with caretaker Bruno Abreu expected to oversee Sunday's encounter.

Standing successful their mode are opponents who person besides precocious changed managers, with Braga parting institution with Carlos Vicens connected October 20 aft a four-match winless tally crossed each competitions (D1, L3), including 3 consecutive defeats.

A 2-1 location nonaccomplishment to Gil Vicente proved decisive, ending Vicens's 15-month spell successful charge, and Braga person since appointed Franclim Carvalho, who has returned to the nine wherever helium antecedently worked arsenic an adjunct to Artur Jorge.

Carvalho made an contiguous interaction successful his archetypal lucifer connected Thursday, guiding Braga to a 2-0 location triumph implicit Gent successful the Conference League, with Victor Gomez opening the scoring successful the 3rd infinitesimal earlier Gabri Martinez sealed the triumph successful the 2nd half.

Looking to physique connected that European occurrence successful Carvalho's archetypal league lucifer successful charge, the visitors tin besides gully assurance from their awesome distant grounds against Nacional, having won 5 of their past six league visits to the Estadio da Madeira.

Nacional Primeira Liga form:

Nacional signifier (all competitions):

Braga Primeira Liga form:

Braga signifier (all competitions):

Team News

Nacional are expected to stay without defenders Leo Santos and Ulisses, who are recovering from genu and ankle injuries, respectively.

Filipe Soares has missed the past 5 matches with a musculus occupation and is besides expected to beryllium retired this encounter, portion Wesley Gasolina could beryllium unavailable for a 3rd consecutive outing.

Abdel Kader Njoya, who scored doubly connected his debut against Rio Ave, is expected to pb the enactment again, portion Matchoi Djalo could supply creativity from midfield.

Braga are expected to stay without defender Sikou Niakate, who is inactive recovering from the Achilles tendon wounded helium suffered successful April.

In Thursday's triumph implicit Gent, Carvalho deployed Jovan Milosevic successful attack, with skipper Ricardo Horta providing support, and the caller manager is expected to clasp overmuch of that lineup, though Martinez is pushing for a starting spot aft making an interaction disconnected the bench.

Nacional imaginable starting lineup:

Marin; De la Cruz, Goncalves, Ze Victor, Kokolo; Labidi, Baeza; Gavriel, Djalo, Song; Njoya

Braga imaginable starting lineup:

Bernardo Fontes; Lagerbielke, V Carvalho, Bajrami; V Gomez, Tiknaz, Gorby, G Martinez; Pau Victor, Horta; Milosevic

We say: Nacional 0-2 Braga

Nacional's losing streak and antiaircraft grounds marque it hard to backmost them to crook their play astir immediately, peculiarly fixed the uncertainty surrounding their managerial transition.

Braga volition person little betterment clip aft Thursday's European fixture, but their triumph implicit Gent should supply a timely boost, and their beardown caller grounds successful this fixture makes an distant triumph a tenable prediction.
 

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