Braga vs Real Betis Predictions

• Braga have won five of their last seven home games
• Betis have just one win in their last eight games (D4, L3)
• Braga have won four of their five home Europa League games

Braga can strike first against Betis

The first Europa League quarter-final gets underway on Wednesday with an Iberian derby as Braga host out of form Real Betis.

The visitors are the clear favourites to qualify but if Betis are to reach the last four they may need a comeback in the second leg in Spain, as Braga look a solid bet to win this first leg.

The Portuguese outfit have been impressive at their Estádio Municipal de Braga home all season and they’ve won four of their five main draw Europa League games at this venue. Braga have beaten Nottingham Forest, Feyenoord and Crvena Zvezda at this venue, and they saw a 10-game unbeaten streak at home (W8, D2) ended in a close 2-1 loss to Porto in their last home assignment.

Betis are in the midst of a tough patch with three defeats in their last six games and they’ve won just one of their last eight. The La Liga side have six defeats in their last nine away from home and their road results in Europe have been mixed, with just two wins in five games and they’ve lost their last two trips.

Braga may be able to build a solid platform to build on going into the second leg and a 2-0 home win is the correct score pick. The Portuguese side have scored 18 goals across their last six at home and have four clean sheets in their five home games in this competition, while Betis have failed to score in three of their last six games and have conceded exactly twice in four of their last seven away from home.

Braga forward Ricardo Horta has three goals and four assists in the Europa League this season and has 13 goals in 24 Portuguese league games. Horta scored twice against Ferencvaros in the home leg in the previous round and he stands out as a candidate for an anytime goal on Wednesday.