Braga vs Praiense Predictions

Primeira Liga side Braga have the home advantage against third tier opponents Praiense in Sunday’s Taça de Portugal tie. Braga scraped through in the previous round courtesy of a 1-0 win over Felgueiras 1932, while Praiense beat Santa Iria 2-0 at the Campo Conde Mendia. Both teams are performing well in their respective divisions and while Braga are the big favourites to win, a lot will depend on the strength of the hosts starting lineup on Sunday.

Before the international break Braga made the trip to Porto and were unlucky to taste defeat after holding their hosts for the majority of the match. Porto had more corners, more shots on and off target, as well as 61% of the overall possession, but it wasn’t until the eighty-eighth minute that the hosts finally made the break through. Brazil’s Tiquinho scored the all important goal after good work from fellow countryman Otavinho and while the hosts were the better team, Braga will have been very disappointed not to have held on for a point.

Brazilian Dyego Sousa has been Braga’s main danger man this season with seven league goals to his name so far, while teammates Ricardo Horta and Wilson Eduardo have chipped in with four goals apiece. For the visitors, Danny Esteves top scores with six goals in the Campeonato de Portugal Prio, while Cristiano Magina has netted four goals, and veteran midfielder João Peixoto has scored three times.

Peixoto third goal of the campaign arrived at the weekend and served to be the games winning goal as Praiense won 1-0 away at 1º Dezembro. The visitors dominated the match and fully deserved to pick up all three points, but were made to wait until the seventy-seventh minute before Peixoto made the break through. Praiense had 58% of the overall possession, four corners to the hosts one, and fourteen shots compared to 1º Dezembro’s seven during the ninety minutes.

Braga’s defeat saw them slip down to third in the Primeira Liga table behind Sporting CP, while remaining top of their group in the Campeonato de Portugal Prio, thanks to that narrow win in Sintra. Both teams are in good form and that should make for a good cup game on Sunday, but the hosts have far more quality in their ranks and will see the Taça de Portugal as a genuine chance of silverware this season.

We’re confident that Braga will win to nil on Sunday, and have backed the final scoreline to be a comfortable 3-0 in favour of the hosts. Braga have won three of their last five matches in all competitions, and two of those wins have been accompanied by a clean sheet. Two divisions separate the two clubs with Braga playing in the Primeira Liga and Praiense plying their trade in the Campeonato de Portugal Prio, and that should make a big difference this weekend.