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September 13, 2024
Braga aims for their third straight home victory for the first time since March as they face Vitoria de Guimaraes in round five of the Primeira Liga on Sunday.
The Vimaranenses traveled to Estadio Braga Municipal, where they hadn’t won in their last nine visits in January 2017. As they head into the weekend, they will be looking to break this seven-year streak.
Braga settled for a draw for the second consecutive match just before the international break, playing to a goalless tie against Gil Vicente on September 1.
The Gilistas lamented their missed opportunities in front of goal, failing to convert several clear chances at Estadio Cidade de Barcelos before settling for a draw.
Before that, Braga demonstrated impressive resilience in the Europa League playoff, returning from a two-goal deficit to secure a 2-2 draw against Rapid Vienna on August 29, ultimately winning 4-3 on aggregate.
After finishing fourth last season, Carlos Carvalhal’s team has earned two wins and two draws from its first four matches, accumulating eight points out of a possible 12. It sits sixth in the table, just one point and one place behind Sunday’s visitors.
Braga returns home after two away games in a row. They remain unbeaten in five matches across all competitions this season. They’ve recorded three wins and two draws, scoring eight goals while conceding three.
Vitoria de Guimaraes, in contrast, got back to winning ways in the league last time, securing a 2-1 victory over Famalicao in their match at Estadio Dom Afonso Henriques.
Sorriso scored in the 17th minute to equalize after Kaio Cesar’s early goal, bringing Famalicao level. However, Tomas Handel found the net in the first minute of stoppage time, giving Vila Nova their first season defeat.
Before that, Vitoria de Guimaraes began the 2024-25 Primeira Liga campaign with a 1-0 win over Arouca at Estadio Municipal de Arouca on August 12. Six days later, they secured another 1-0 victory against Estoril Praia on home ground.
Following their result against Famalicao, Rui Borges’s team has won nine of their 10 matches across all competitions this season. This impressive performance has earned them a spot in European football, highlighted by a 7-0 aggregate victory over Zrinjski Mostar in the Europa Conference League playoff in August.
While Guimaraes aims to continue their momentum from before the break, they must perform at their best at Estadio Braga Municipal, where they have yet to win in their last eight visits. During that stretch, they have lost six times and managed two draws, with their last victory being a 2-1 win in January 2017.
Braga will be without the defensive duo of 32-year-old Paulo Oliveira and Mali international Sikou Niakate, who are both recovering from ankle and muscle injuries, respectively. Veteran midfielder Joao Moutinho has been sidelined since sustaining an injury during a friendly against Servette on August 15, while Bruma has missed the last three matches due to a muscle issue.
Robson Bambu, who joined from French club Nice in the summer, had to leave the match against Rapid Vienna on August 29 due to a thigh injury. He will also miss this weekend’s game. Jorge Fernandes has also been absent for the last two matches after suffering a shoulder injury against AVS on August 25, making him a major doubt for the clash with Vitoria de Guimaraes.
Fernandes will be the only absentee if there are late fitness concerns, allowing coach Borges to field a relatively strong squad. Summer signing Cesar scored his first goal in the Bundesliga against Famalicao. He is expected to remain in the front three alongside Nelson Oliveira and Ricardo Mangas.
Braga’s possible starting lineup:
Lima; Gomez, Arrey-Mbi, Ribeiro, Marin; Zalazar, Horta, Carvalho; Horta, El Ouazzano, Martinez.
Vitoria de Guimaraes’ possible starting lineup:
Varela; Gaspar, Borevkovic, Villanueva, Mendes; Samu, Handel, Silva; Cesar, Oliveira, Mangas.
Katarzyna Nowak is a seasoned writer with over five years of experience in editorial content, news reporting, and cricket sportsbook app reviews. As an author for Latest Football News, she combines her deep understanding of the sports betting industry with a passion for cricket, delivering insightful and accurate content that keeps readers informed and engaged.
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