Santa Clara will host Sporting Braga at the Estadio de Sao Miguel on Sunday in another round of the 2024-25 Primeira Liga campaign. The home side have exceeded expectations upon returning to the Portuguese top flight this season and now sit fourth in the league table with 27 points from 14 matches as they continue their push for continental football.
However, they suffered a disappointing 1-0 defeat to last-placed Arouca in their last league outing before losing 2-1 to Sporting Lisbon in a tense Taca de Portugal clash earlier in the week.
Sporting Braga, meanwhile, have had mixed results this season but remain hopeful of finishing in the top four. They played out a 3-3 draw against Famalicao last time out, finding themselves two goals down early in the second half before goals from Roberto Fernandez, Paulo Oliveira and Ricardo Horto helped the Archbishops secure a well-deserved point on home turf.
The visitors sit a place and two points behind their weekend opponents in the league table and will head into Sunday's game knowing they will leapfrog them with maximum points.
Santa Clara vs Sporting Braga Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
- There have been 20 meetings between Santa Clara and Braga. The home side have won three of those games while the visitors have won 12 times with their other five matchups ending level.
- The visitors are undefeated in their last seven games in this fixture, a run dating back to 2020.
- Santa Clara have scored 16 goals in the Portuguese top flight this season, the second-fewest of any team in the top half of the pile.
- Braga have picked up 13 points on the road in the league this season. Only Benfica (14) and champions Sporting (18) have managed more.
Santa Clara vs Sporting Braga Prediction
Santa Clara are on a run of consecutive defeats after winning each of their previous four matches. They have, however, won their last six home games on the bounce and will head into the weekend clash with confidence sky-high.
Braga, meanwhile, are without a win in their last three matches. They have, however, lost just one of their last six away matches and should have just enough to see off the newly-promoted outfit on Sunday.
Prediction: Santa Clara 0-1 Sporting Braga
Santa Clara vs Sporting Braga Betting Tips
Tip 1 - Result: Braga to win
Tip 2 - Goals - Over/under 2.5 - Under 2.5 goals (Each of the hosts' last seven matches have all produced fewer than 2.5 goals)
Tip 3 - Both teams to score: NO (Both sides have found the back of the net in just two of the visitors' last six matches)