At the start of the second half of the season, Sporting Braga were still in the running for a place in the top flight, but just a few matchdays before the end of the season, the Arcebispos from northern Portugal have lost any chance of securing one of the three starting places in the Champions League. As fourth in the table, Braga will therefore start next season in the group stage of the Europa League.
On Friday evening, the northern Portuguese top club will play its last home match of the current season, hosting Moreirense, the seventh-placed team in the Primeira Liga, at the Estádio Municipal de Braga. As the odds comparison of our site shows, the hosts from Braga are favourites despite their ongoing form crisis.
Although the fourth-placed team in the table is by no means under pressure to win, the role of favourite is understandable given the Arcebispos’ strong home record. After all, Sporting Braga is one of the strongest home teams in the Portuguese top flight. Braga have already scored 33 points in 16 home games. They will now be aiming for their eleventh home win against Friday’s opponents.
Prediction & Live Odds for Braga vs. Moreirense
In the Primeira Liga, Sporting Braga will no longer be able to take fourth place from the table, but the last two match days in the Portuguese top flight are by no means insignificant for the Red and Whites. After all, the Red and Whites are in a crisis of form two weeks before the big cup final in the Taca de Portugal.
On Friday evening, the Arcebispos face their last home game of the current season. Against Moreirense, the seventh-placed team in the Primeira Liga, the Red and Whites want to show a defiant reaction and thus score three points for the first time since matchday 28. The visitors are currently still in the race for the international starting places, but still have to hope for some help to jump up to sixth place in the table.
In the first leg, Sporting Braga beat Moreirense 4-0 and thus celebrated their third win in a row against the “Os homens de Moreira de Cónegos”. Considering how weak the visitors have been in recent weeks, it is also obvious to place bets on the hosts from northern Portugal in the second-round match.
We again expect Braga to put in a commanding performance against Moreirense, so our bet is on “HT/FT: 1/1” ✅
Braga – Statistics & current form
Sporting Braga will finish the 2020/21 Primeira Liga season in fourth place, but there are no long faces at the top club from northern Portugal. In less than two weeks, the Red and Whites will play the cup final in the prestigious Taca de Portugal, but for the time being, they still have two more match days to play in the Primeira Liga.
Because Sporting Braga can no longer be denied fourth place in the standings, the last two matchdays in the Portuguese top flight are of no particular significance for the Arcebispos. Nevertheless, the fourth-placed team in the table should not be underestimated with regard to the last home game of the current season.
The northern Portuguese club have lost only three of their 16 home games this season, and with a home record of 10-3-3, Sporting Braga are the fourth-best home team in the Primeira Liga. Two of the three home defeats came against the top clubs from Lisbon, while Santa Clara (8th) also won at the Arcebispos fortress.
Will the form crisis end against Moreirense?
Braga have only won one of their last five home games, and the fourth-placed team in the table has not won at home twice in a row. Nevertheless, we think a prediction on Sporting Braga against Moreirense is obvious, as the Red and Whites already won 4-0 against their league rivals from Moreira de Cónegos in the first half of the season.
Behind the two top clubs from Lisbon and the runners-up from Porto, the Arcebispos have the fourth strongest attack in the Primeira Liga. In the semi-finals of the Taca de Portugal, FC Porto experienced just how strong the attacking department of the Red and Whites is. Braga managed to score three goals against the second-placed team in the cup competition.
Head coach Carlos Carvalhal can draw on a full complement of players two matchdays before the end of the season. Only Iuri Medeiros and Francisco Moura will be absent due to injury. Compared to the starting eleven, which last picked up a point against Gil Vicente, no changes are expected. If Sporting Braga beat Moreirense, odds of up to 1.60 on bet on home win are on offer.
Predicted Braga line-up:
Matheus – Vitor, Bruno, Sequeira – Galeno, Castro, Al Musrati, Esgaio – Fransergio – Ruiz, Horta
Moreirense – Statistics & current form
In contrast to the hosts from Braga, the last two matchdays are of great importance for Moreirense, as the Green-Whites are still fighting for an international starting place. The gap to the sixth and last place for the international competition is only two points, so Moreirense can still overtake their neighbours in the table with some help.
This week, however, the seventh-placed team in the table faces a tough task, as Friday’s opponents from Braga have not exactly been among the favourite opponents of the “Os homens de Moreira de Cónegos” in the recent past. Since May 2017, Moreirense have only managed one win in seven games against Sporting Braga.
Risk-averse bettors who still want to bet on Braga against Moreirense should take a look at the free bet offers of the betting providers. This not only minimises the risk, but also fulfils the bonus criterion of the minimum odds in case of success.
Offensive spirit is lacking
To master the away game in Braga, Moreirense will have to improve especially in the offensive. The seventh-placed team in the table has scored only 32 goals in 32 games so far, while conceding a total of 41. Before the recent away win at Portimonense, 13th in the league, Moreirense had gone five games without a win.
The only commendable performance in that period was against second-placed Porto, where Moreirense took a point at home after a draw. Meanwhile, the seventh-placed team in the table has a record of 6-3-7 away from home, scoring just 12 goals in their 16 away games, with only Rio Ave (11) and Nacional (11) worse on the road in the Primeira Liga.
The only bright spot in the Green-Whites’ attack is currently veteran Rafael Martins, who leads the internal goalscoring charts with six goals. The Brazilian was not on the pitch against Portimonense. It is quite possible that head coach Vasco Seabra will once again decide against using Martins and instead rely on André Luis up front. Nuno, Mané and Amador are out due to injury.
Moreirense’s likely line-up:
Kewin – Conte, Ba, Rosic, Ferraresi – Goncalo, Pacheco, Simao – Pires, André Luis, Silva