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Preview: Braga vs. Cardiff City - prediction, team news, lineups

:Headline: Preview: Braga vs. Cardiff City - prediction, team news, lineups:
Sports Mole previews Wednesday's friendly clash between Braga and Cardiff City, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Sports Mole

Braga are set to continue their pre-season preparations when they lock horns with Cardiff City in a friendly at the Municipal de Lagos on Wednesday evening.

The Portuguese side have already played two friendly matches, winning both, while Cardiff have won three and drawn one of their four friendlies up to this point.


Match preview

Braga had a solid season in the Primeira Liga last season, finishing in third place, just nine points behind title-winners Benfica, meaning they have qualified for the qualification rounds of the Champions League.

The Archbishops have never won the league title in Portugal, but their performances last season proved they are not too far off competing with the likes of Benfica and FC Porto at the top end of the table.

Artur Jorge's side had a very strong end to the campaign, collecting 23 points from their final 10 league games, while also progressing to the final of the Taca de Portugal, but they ultimately came up short, losing 2-0 against Porto in Lisbon.

Jorge can still look back on the season as very promising, however, and his side have started pre-season in the best possible fashion, with two wins already on the board.

Braga defeated Torreense 4-0 in their first friendly match, before running out 2-0 winners against Boavista last time out, with Simon Banza and Al Musrati getting on the scoresheet.

Cardiff's 2022-23 season was not quite as promising, finishing 21st in the Championship, just five points above the relegation zone, and they will be hoping they are not drawn into the relegation battle at all in the upcoming campaign.

The Bluebirds made a managerial change in the summer, with Erol Bulut being appointed as a replacement for Sabri Lamouchi, and the 48-year-old has already overseen four matches at the helm of his new club.

Bulut's side have won three and drawn one of their four friendly matches up to this point, with the two most recent of those games coming against Bristol Rovers, in what were only 60-minute matches.

Cardiff recorded a 2-1 victory against Bristol Rovers last time out, having fielded a very young team, and they are set for their first real test of pre-season when they come up against Braga for the first time ever on Wednesday evening.

Braga friendly form:

  • W
  • W

Cardiff City friendly form:
  • W
  • W
  • D
  • W


Team News

Braga have been fairly busy in the transfer market, having completed a permanent move for Bruma, and the former Fenerbahce man is set to get the nod at left-wing, while new arrivals Vitor Carvalho and Rodrigo Zalazar could get game time in the centre of midfield.

Sikou Niakate has also now completed a permanent move to the Estadio Municipal de Braga, and the 23-year-old could slot in at centre-back, with Adrian Marin potentially coming in at left-back, and Victor Gomez on the opposite side.

Aaron Ramsey has now returned to his boyhood club, putting pen to paper on a two-year deal, and the Welshman may be handed his first start, alongside Joe Ralls in the engine room.

Other arrivals for the Bluebirds include centre-back Dimitrios Goutas, left-winger Yakou Meite, as well as strikers Karlan Grant and Ike Ugbo.


Braga possible starting lineup:
Magalhaes; Sequeira, Oliveira, Gomez, Niakate; Horta, Al Musrati, Bruma, Djalo; Ruiz, Horta

Cardiff City possible starting lineup:
Alnwick; Ng, McGuinness, Goutas; Romeo, Ramsey, Ralls, O'Dowda, Sawyers; Grant, Ugbo


We say: Braga 2-0 Cardiff City

It is difficult to gauge the level Cardiff are at heading into Wednesday's game, as they have mainly came up against lower-league opposition in all of their friendly matches up to this point.

As such, we expect the hosts to record a comfortable victory, considering they were one of the best teams in the Primeira Liga last season.



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Read more about Artur Jorge Simon Banza Al Musrati Erol Bulut Sabri Lamouchi Vitor Carvalho Rodrigo Zalazar Sikou Niakate Victor Gomez Adrian Marin Aaron Ramsey Joe Ralls Dimitrios Goutas Yakou Meite Ike Ugbo Karlan Grant Football
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Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Sporting Lisbon31263289296081
2Benfica31244371254676
3Porto31196657263163
4Braga31195764442062
5Vitoria de GuimaraesGuimaraes31186746321460
6MoreirenseMoreirense31137113234-246
7AroucaArouca311361253421145
8FamalicaoFamalicao31812113339-636
9Casa Pia3198143344-1135
10SC FarenseFarense3197154244-234
11Estoril PraiaEstoril3196164652-633
12Rio AveRio Ave3151793339-632
13Gil Vicente3188153950-1132
14BoavistaBoavista3179153557-2230
15Estrela Amadora31611143249-1729
16PortimonensePortimonense3177173466-3228
17ChavesChaves3158183165-3423
18Vizela31410173063-3322
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