Croatia
Indonesia
Nigeria
South Africa

Preview: Braga vs. Famalicao - prediction, team news, lineups

sportsmole.co.uk, 9 August 2023, 21:03
Braga and Famalicao get the 2023-24 Portuguese Primeira Liga campaign underway when they square off at the Estadio Braga Municipal on Friday.

Os Arcebispos have already recorded one win on the board this season after beating Serbian outfit Backa Topola in the first leg of the Champions League third qualifying round on Tuesday.

Match preview

Braga enjoyed an impressive 2022-23 campaign as they finished third in the Primeira Liga standings — their highest league position since also clinching third place in 2020.

Os Arcebispos won 25 of their 34 matches while losing six and claiming three draws to collect 78 points, four points more than fourth-placed Sporting Lisbon just outside the Champions League playoff spot.

Braga also beat Benfica and Nacional to reach the final of the Taca de Portugal but were denied their first piece of silverware since also winning the Taca de Portugal in 2021 as they fell to a 2-0 loss against the Dragoes.

Artur Jorge's men kicked off their 2023-24 campaign on Tuesday, when they thrashed Backa Topola 3-0 in the first leg of their Champions League third qualifying round clash.

In a one-sided affair at the Estadio Braga Municipal, Bruma, Pizzi and substitute Alvaro Djalo all found the back of the net to send the Serbian outfit back home empty handed.

This followed a solid preseason campaign, where they went unbeaten in their six friendly matches, claiming five wins and one draw, which came on July 26 when they came from behind to salvage a 1-1 stalemate against Italian side Roma.

After showing promise for most of the 2022-23 campaign, an underwhelming end to the season saw Famalicao's hopes of securing European football come to an end in disappointing fashion.

The Vila Nova failed to win any of their final five league matches, picking up just two points from the last 15 available as they finished eight in the table, nine points off the Conference League qualification spot.

They can look back on last season's performance with pride nonetheless, having also reached the semi-finals of the Taca de Portugal before suffering a 5-3 aggregate defeat against eventual winners Porto.

Famalicao would have hoped for a more inspiring start to the new campaign as they suffered a first-round exit from the Taca da Liga qualifiers on July 23 when they were beaten 3-2 by Belenenses at the Estadio do Restelo.

Riccieli and Jhonder Cadiz both found the target to level the scores after Cain Attard's brace put the hosts ahead twice in the game but Duarte Valente converted his penalty in the 11th minute of stoppage time time to hand the Segunda Liga outfit a last-gasp victory.

With that result, the Vila Nova have now failed to win any of their last eight competitive matches, losing six and picking up two draws since picking up three consecutive victories against Pacos de Ferreira, Vitoria de Guimaraes and Maritimo respectively back in April.

Breaching opposing defences has not been a worry for Famalicao, who made the net ripple in seven of those eight matches, but they conceded 18 goals and kept just one clean sheet, which certainly does not make for good reading ahead of the new league campaign.

Joao Pedro Sousa's side have also gone five consecutive games on the road since their last victory — losing three and picking up two draws — and will need to up the ante away if they are to enjoy an improved display from the last season.

Braga form (all competitions):

Famalicao form (all competitions):

Team News

Braga will head into the season opener with several new faces across the squad, with the likes of Vitor Carvalho, Adrian Marin, Rodrigo Zalazar and veteran defender Jose Fonte in line to make their league debuts.

Experienced forward Rony Lopes has also recently completed a move to the Estadio Braga Municipal and the former Sevilla man could also be handed his debut this weekend.

Should that be the case, he should be joined in attack by Abel Ruiz and Portuguese international Ricardo Horta, whose 14 goals and eight assists were instrumental in Braga's successful 2022-23 campaign.

Having spent last season on loan with Famalicao, former Braga man Francisco Moura completed a permanent move to the Vila Nova this summer and the defender could come up against his former employers this weekend.

However, Famalicao will have to cope without Portuguese defender Alexandre Penetra, following his move to Eredivisie outfit AZ Alkmaar.

On the injury front, Sousa will be unable to call upon 23-year-old forward Theo Fonseca, who continues his road to full recovery after suffering an ACL injury last October.

Braga possible starting lineup:

Lima; Gomez, Fonte, Niakate, Borja; Al-Musrati, Zalazar; Lopes, A Horta, Bruma; Ruiz

Famalicao possible starting lineup:

Junior; Aguirregabiria, Riccieli, Haas, Moura; Rodrigues, Sa, Topic; Jaime, Felipe, Cadiz

We say: Braga 3-1 Famalicao

Famalicao head into Friday's curtain-raiser knowing they have their work cut out as they face a high-flying Braga side whose last home defeat came in February. Os Arcebispos are currently firing on all cylinders and we are backing them to ease to an opening-day victory in front of their home supporters.

Previews by email

Top News

23 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United transfer target Randal Kolo Muani is very likely to leave Paris Saint-Germain in the January transfer window, according to reports. 22 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City have reportedly set their sights on West Ham United attacker Mohammed Kudus, with Pep Guardiola keen to strengthen his struggling squad. 22 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United are reportedly set to rival Arsenal for the signature of Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic in the summer of 2025. 22 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk The final Premier League gameweek before Christmas appropriately served up some crackers, including a festive feast of goals in North London, where Liverpool ran riot in an exhilarating 6-3 win over Tottenham Hotspur. 22 December 2024 talksport.com Even when the pulse settled a little after this compellingspectacle it was still difficult to know quite where to start todissect this nine-goal thriller. 22 December 2024 talksport.com Ange Postecoglou cut an irritated figure as he claimed he's going to stop answering questions about Tottenham's tactics. 22 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Tottenham Hotspur have supposedly expressed an interest in signing Borussia Dortmund attacker Julian Brandt next month. 22 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool's Mohamed Salah refused to give anything away when asked whether he could break Ian Rush's all-time goalscoring record after the Reds' remarkable 6-3 win over Tottenham Hotspur. 22 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool's astonishing 6-3 Premier League win over Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday evening saw a multitude of records and achievements surpassed, as the Reds moved four points clear at the top of the table. 22 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Al-Ahli have reportedly emerged as the favourites to sign Marcus Rashford, with the Manchester United attacker widely expected to be on the move during the January transfer window. 22 December 2024 talksport.com Everton have become surprise leaders in one statistic across Europe thanks to their draw at home to Chelsea. 22 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool will spend Christmas Day four points clear at the top of the Premier League table thanks to a breathtaking 6-3 win over Tottenham Hotspur in North London. 22 December 2024 talksport.com Kylian Mbappe struck a landmark effort to put himself firmly among Real Madrid's elite. 22 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca has insisted that he is "absolutely happy" with his side's goalless draw at Everton on Sunday. 22 December 2024 talksport.com If you thought Mohamed Salah couldn't set yet another record, think again. 22 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk For a second time in successive Gulf Cup competitions, The United Arab Emirates and Kuwait will meet in the group stage, with this upcoming game taking place on Tuesday at Jaber Al-Amad International Stadium in Kuwait City. 22 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Bayer Leverkusen defender Jeremie Frimpong is supposedly not a 'concrete target' for Liverpool amid speculation over Trent Alexander-Arnold's future. 22 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Real Madrid moved into second spot in the La Liga table courtesy of a 4-2 success over Sevilla in Sunday afternoon's contest at Bernabeu, with Los Blancos ending 2024 on a high note. 22 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Oman and Qatar will compete in the Gulf Cup for the first time in over a decade on Tuesday at Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium, each seeking their first victory in this edition of the tournament. 22 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Barcelona have reportedly received offers from three clubs for defender Eric Garcia, but the player is pushing against a move away from Catalonia during the January transfer window. 22 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United have broken two unwanted club Premier League records in their humiliating 3-0 home defeat to Bournemouth. 22 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk New Wolverhampton Wanderers' boss Vitor Pereira earned three points when his side comfortably beat Ruud van Nistelrooy's Leicester City 3-0 away from home on Sunday afternoon in the Premier League. 22 December 2024 talksport.com Aaron Ramsdale was spotted wearing a modified goalkeeper glove in Southampton's Premier League clash at Fulham. 22 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea squandered the chance to go top of the Premier League table for a couple of hours as Everton held the Blues to a goalless stalemate at Goodison Park. 22 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Djed Spence has been named in the Tottenham Hotspur starting XI for their Premier League clash with Liverpool, while Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo get the nod up front for the visitors. 22 December 2024 talksport.com Manchester United were beaten 3-0 by Bournemouth in a defeat that saw Ruben Amorim's side achieve an unwanted record. 22 December 2024 talksport.com Gary Neville believes that Ruben Amorim will allow Marcus Rashford to leave Manchester United for the sake of 'himself and the club'. 22 December 2024 talksport.com Pep Guardiola isn't immune from the sack at Manchester City having continued their unprecedented and dismal run of form. 22 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United have reportedly earmarked Leeds United shot-stopper Illan Meslier as one of two goalkeeper targets ahead of the January transfer window. 22 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly identified Burnley's James Trafford as their top transfer target for the January transfer window.