A faltering Braga side make the short trip to face neighbours Famalicao in the Primeira Liga on Thursday.

After a tricky start to 2024, Artur Jorge's side have slipped a long way off the summit, as well as crashing out of the domestic cup.

Match preview

While the fixtures have not been wholly kind to Braga at the start of the year, the results have been far from satisfactory.

Drawing 1-1 at home to Vitoria Guimaraes saw Braga squander the chance to create a gap between themselves and their opponents that day.

Guimaraes have since taken advantage, as a 2-1 win over Arouca on Monday paired with Braga's defeat at Porto means the two are now locked on 33 points, potentially jeopardising Jorge's hopes of qualifying for Europe again.

A daunting trip to the capital to face Benfica in the Taca de Portugal also ended in defeat despite leading early on, meaning Braga are still winless in 2024.

While they are down in fourth, and with Guimaraes breathing down their necks, Braga remain the joint-top scorers in the Portuguese top flight with 40.

It has been defensive problems which have plagued their hopes of challenging for the title, or even a place in the Champions League, as 11 games without a clean sheet means they now have one of the poorest defensive records in the division.

Portugal's drop in the UEFA coefficient means only the top two will earn a Champions League spot now, making the task even more arduous for Braga, who beat Sporting Lisbon to third place last season.

While goals have been aplenty in this fixture since Famalicao's promotion, Braga wins have not, as the visitors have won only three of the nine meetings despite their much higher stature.

The last six head-to-heads have produced 24 goals, and three of those came on the opening day of this season, when Famalicao stunned Braga at the Quarry, winning 2-1.

The hosts also come into this game with a renewed sense of self belief, after ending a six-game winless streak by beating Casa Pia on Saturday.

Chiquinho and Jhonder Cadiz were on the scoresheet as Famalicao recorded a 2-0 win on the road - their first in the league for over two months.

Famalicao's only other win in that time came away to fourth-tier outfit Camacha in the Taca, but despite their lack of results, they remain the best of the rest outside the runaway top six in Portugal.

Joao Pedro Sousa's side sit seventh on 22 points, seven points behind Moreirense who are just one place above them - the same gap between Famalicao and the relegation zone.

With the sheer number of teams below them, though, it is unlikely that a relegation battle will ensue, so a mid-table finish awaits.

Team News

Unlike many top-flight clubs around Europe, Famalicao have no players away on international duty at either the Africa Cup of Nations or the Asian Cup.

There are a couple of concerns for Sousa, though, including new signing Filipe Soares, who has arrived on loan from PAOK injured.

Panamanian forward Puma also remains sidelined with the injury he picked up back in early December, so Famalicao could remain unchanged from the Casa Pia win.

Braga do have absences due to AFCON, with the division's top scorer Simon Banza away after switching allegiances from France to DR Congo shortly before the tournament.

Defender Sikou Niakhate is also on duty with Mali, so Paulo Oliveira has featured regularly in his absence alongside Jose Fonte.

Jorge may go slightly more offensive from the side which lost away to Porto, where he started three combative midfielders behind a lone striker.

That could offer Rony Lopes an opportunity to feature from the start, in an attacking midfield trio involving Ricardo Horta and Alvaro Djalo out wide.

Famalicao possible starting lineup:
Junior Reis; Nathan, Mihaj, Otavio, Moura; Youssouf, Topic, Gustavo Sa; Theo Fonseca, Cadiz, Chiquinho

Braga possible starting lineup:
Matheus; Victor Gomez, Paulo Oliveira, Jose Fonte, Borja; Zalazar, Joao Moutinho; Djalo, Rony Lopes, Ricardo Horta; Abel Ruiz

We say: Famalicao 1-2 Braga

While form has not been great in 2024 for Braga, this is an excellent opportunity for them to return to winning ways, but defensive issues may mean it will be closer than they would prefer.

Famalicao took advantage to beat an underwhelming Casa Pia side last weekend and will almost certainly find it tougher here despite familiar surroundings, and may well suffer a narrow defeat.


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