Santa Clara vs Braga Predictions

• Santa Clara have lost four of their last five games in all competitions, including their last three.
• Braga have won six of their seven Primeira Liga home games this season.
• Santa Clara have scored and conceded in each of their last six home league contests.

Braga bid to close the gap to Porto in Azores clash

A stunning and thoroughly deserved victory over leaders Benfica has put Braga back in the Primeira Liga title race ahead of Thursday’s trip to the Azores to face Santa Clara.

On current from, this is one that Artur Jorge’s side ought not to lose as they bring the division’s best away record to Estádio de São Miguel. Jorge has led the Arsenalistas to their second-best points tally after 14 rounds and to within six points of Benfica at the summit.

The way they took on the Eagles on the front foot was highly impressive and a similar approach should be enough to account for a Santa Clara side that have stumbled over the festive period.

Santa Clara lost their form over Christmas 

Mario Silva’s men, who occupy 15th place in the table, lost 1-0 to Gil Vicente last weekend and it could easily have been more. They generated an xG figure of around 0.3 in Barcelos and can have no complaints about the result.

That makes it four defeats in five in all competitions. Another loss here looks likely, but Santa Clara have a very good record of scoring at home and can breach the Braga defence in this contest.

Aside from backing an away win with both teams to score, a correct score play of a 2-1 Braga win seems prudent given Santa Clara scored exactly once in home games against the two clubs either side of Braga in the table, Porto and Sporting Lisbon, while the Arsenalistas are averaging 2.57 goals per away league game this term.

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