Braga return to Portuguese Primeira Liga action on Saturday against Maritimo, hoping to return to winning ways after a hard-fought draw against Famalicao last week.
Maritimo have made it two wins in a row after their heavy 7-1 defeat at the hands of Benfica as they overcame Portimonense in their previous outing. They have had just one loss in their last six league outings and head into the fixture in great form.
Braga face second-placed Sporting in their next league game, so it is important for them to avoid dropping points here.
Braga vs Maritimo Head-to-Head
The two sides have squared off 65 times across all competitions since 1990. The fixture has been closely contested between the two sides, with Braga having a slight advantage. They lead 27-21 in wins while the spoils have been shared 17 times between the two teams.
Os Arcebispos secured a 2-0 win when the two sides last met at the Estádio dos Barreiros in the opening fixture of the 2021-22 campaign.
Braga form guide (all competitions): D-W-L-W-L
Maritimo form guide (Primeira Liga): W-W-L-W-D
Braga vs Maritimo Team News
Braga
David Carmo continues to be sidelined with an ankle injury and is expected to return to the field next month.
Raul Silva, Chiquinho and Lucas Piazon are expected to leave the club in the ongoing transfer window and will play no part in the game.
Vitinha, Nuno Sequeira and Vítor Oliveira's involvement in the game remains doubtful. Bruno Rodrigues is suspended after his red card against Famalicao.
Injured: David Carmo
Doubtful: Raul Silva, Chiquinho, Lucas Piazon, Vitinha, Nuno Sequeira, Vítor Oliveir
Suspended: Bruno Rodrigues
Maritimo
Xadas remains a long-term absentee for the visiting side and the only absentee for them ahead of this game.
Injured: Xadas
Doubtful: None
Suspended: None
Braga vs Maritimo Predicted XI
Braga Predicted XI (3-4-2-1): Matheus; Diogo Leite, Vitor Tormena, Oliveira; Yan Couto, Lucas Mineiro, Francisco Moura, Ali Musrati; Iuri Medeiros, Miguel Fale; Ricardo Horta
Maritimo Predicted XI (4-3-3): Paulo Victor; Matheus Costa, Leo Andrade, Vitor Costa de Brito, Cláudio Winck; Diogo Mendes, Stefano Beltrame, Pedro Pelagio; Joel, Ali Alipour, Henrique
Braga vs Maritimo Prediction
Braga have enjoyed a great home run in the league recently and boast a 10-1 aggregate score in their last four games. Maritimo have not kept a clean sheet in their travels this season and are expected to struggle against the in-form hosts.
We predict a win for the home team, but the visitors will not go down easy and an exciting encounter seems to be on the cards here.
Prediction: Braga 2-1 Maritimo