Farensevs.Braga

The Archbishops head into this encounter having snapped a two-match losing run across the Taca de Portugal and the league with a hard-fought 1-0 home triumph against Porto last Saturday.

Match preview

After a heartbreaking cup exit to Benfica and a costly league defeat to Rio Ave that left them three points adrift of Porto, Braga knew a response was needed — especially with a direct opportunity to close the gap back on their fellow contenders.

A fast start proved decisive, with Ricardo Horta striking in the 17th minute to secure a vital victory that saw Carlos Carvalhal's side remain fourth in the standings with 50 points, level with Porto, but trailing on goal difference.

Braga have now won seven of their last nine league matches, with the only setbacks in this stretch coming in away fixtures - a goalless draw at Vitoria de Guimaraes and that loss at Rio.

This form does not paint the most convincing picture ahead of their trip to Faro, especially considering their last visit to Farense ended in a 3-1 defeat in 2023.

However, the visitors can draw from the fact that they have won four of the last six league meetings between the sides, including a 2-0 victory in the reverse fixture in October last year.

Barring their recent setbacks, Braga have been impressive on the road this season, collecting 26 points from a possible 36 - a tally bettered only by Benfica - and they will be hoping that form counts for something as they aim for a win this weekend in their push to climb higher up the standings.

Farense, on the other hand, find themselves mired in the relegation zone after going 10 matches without a win, a run consisting of five draws and five defeats.

Their most recent outing saw them claw back from two goals down to salvage a 2-2 draw at Estoril Praia, with Rui Costa pulling one back in the 85th minute before Miguel Menino struck deep into stoppage time to snatch a point.

That result leaves them on 17 points, only two ahead of bottom-placed Boavista and six adrift of safety, adding further urgency to their bid for survival.

While Farense have shown resilience on their travels with back-to-back 2-2 draws at Estoril and AVS, their home form has been woeful, with defeats in each of the last four and just one point collected from six.

Their struggles in front of goal have also been glaring, drawing blanks in three of those losses and managing just three goals across that six-game stretch.

As a result, Toze Marreco's side hold the second-worst attacking home record in the division with just seven goals, while their return of seven points from 12 matches at the Estadio de Sao Luís is only better than Boavista's tally in that regard.

SC Farense Primeira Liga form:

L

L

L

D

L

D

Braga Primeira Liga form:

W

W

D

W

L

W

Braga form (all competitions):

W

D

W

L

L

W

Team News

Menino, surprisingly left out of Farense's starting lineup against Estoril, is likely to be reinstated after netting the late equaliser in that match, while Costa, who also came off the bench to inspire the comeback, will be pushing for a starting berth.

Midfielder Neto is expected to miss this encounter as he continues his recovery from an ankle injury that has sidelined him since mid-January.

Fran Navarro returns to boost Braga's attacking options after missing the Porto clash and is expected to lead the line on Saturday.

Tiago Sa, however, will be unavailable after being sent off last weekend, meaning Matheus Hornicek will retain his spot in goal.

Vitor Carvalho and Roger Fernandes remain sidelined, while Sikou Niakate and Rodrigo Zalazar are doubtful to feature.

SC Farense possible starting lineup:

Velho; Africo, Ribiero, Jorge; Poloni, Falcao, Menino, Pastor; Lopes, Tomane, Costa

Braga possible starting lineup:

Hornicek; Gomez, Oliveira, Bambu, Chissumba; Gharbi, Moutinho, Gorby, Martinez; Horta; Navarro

We say: SC Farense 0-2 Braga

Written by

Adeyeye Oluwapelumi

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