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

Braga have won each of their last four league matches, while back-to-back victories have seen Portimonense steer clear of relegation trouble at the opposite end of the table.

Match preview

It is fair to say that Braga can count themselves unfortunate to be six points behind table-topping Benfica, as Artur Jorge's men have won 22 of their 29 league games this season, scoring 62 goals along the way.

Os Arsenalistas have remained relentless as they continue their pursuit of the top two, taking 19 points from a possible 21 since their last defeat, with five clean sheets coming during that period.

Better still, Braga have only lost two of their previous 17 Primeira Liga clashes, picking up 14 wins to remain within touching distance of Benfica and Porto, with the latter sitting just two points above them in the table.

Jorge's side have been particularly strong at the Estadio Municipal de Braga of late, winning seven of their last eight home league games while keeping six clean sheets, and they also held Porto to a goalless draw last month.

Having booked their place in the Taca de Portugal final on Tuesday - completing a 7-2 aggregate victory over Nacional to advance to the showpiece - Braga will back themselves to maintain their strong form when Portimonense come to town.

When Portimonense suffered five straight defeats between late February and early April, it looked as though Paulo Sergio's men would drop into the relegation dogfight and endure a testing end to the season.

However, Alvinegros have taken seven points from a possible nine since then, opening up a healthy 11-point gap between them and the bottom three.

Following a 2-2 draw with Rio Ave, Portimonense claimed a 1-0 victory at Estoril Praia before defeating Gil Vicente by the same scoreline last time out, clinching back-to-back league wins for the first time since September.

Regardless of the recent upturn, Portimonense cannot afford to rest on their laurels ahead of a crucial clash with Braga, as they have endured a torrid time on the road of late, losing seven of their last eight away matches.

Worse still, Alvinegros have lost 10 of their 14 away league games this season while failing to score on nine occasions, so it is no surprise that only the bottom two sides have netted fewer goals than Portimonense this term.

Braga Primeira Liga form:

W

D

W

W

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W

Braga form (all competitions):

W

W

W

W

W

D

Portimonense Primeira Liga form:

L

L

L

D

W

W

Team News

Having missed the past three games through injury, veteran midfielder Andre Castro is unlikely to feature in Braga's matchday squad this weekend.

Ricardo Horta has notched 11 goals and six assists in 25 league games this season, while Iuri Medeiros has chipped in with nine goals and four assists, so both players should come back into the starting XI after Tuesday's cup triumph.

At the opposite end of the pitch, Matheus will replace Tiago Sa between the sticks as Artur Jorge reverts back to his first-choice Primeira Liga goalkeeper.

Portimonense, on the other hand, have reported no injury problems ahead of Saturday's clash, meaning that Paulo Sergio could stick with the same starting XI that helped inspire back-to-back wins.

Mauricio will continue in midfield after scoring the winner against Gil Vicente last weekend, with Rui Gomes and Yony Gonzalez expected to support lone striker Yago Cariello.

Braga possible starting lineup:

Matheus; Gomez, Tormena, Niakate, Borja; Mediros, Horta, Al-Musrati, Bruma; Ruiz, Horta

Portimonense possible starting lineup:

Nakamura; Moufi, Henrique, Park, Relvas; Mauricio; Gomes, Estrela, Carlinhos, Gonzalez; Cariello

We say: Braga 3-0 Portimonense

When you couple Braga's exceptional home form with Portimonense's woeful away record, all the signs point towards a straightforward win for Os Arsenalistas at the Estadio Municipal de Braga.

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