Sporting and Braga kick off their 2021/22 campaigns with a meeting in the Supertaca Candido de Oliveiria (Portuguese Super Cup) on Saturday night.
Braga booked their place in the Super Cup by winning the Taca de Portugal (Portuguese Cup) last season.
Para sempre um Campeão 🏆Obrigado por tudo. O nosso @vitorinoantun3s 💚 #SportingCP pic.twitter.com/j4qc64Byq5— Sporting Clube de Portugal 🏆 (@Sporting_CP) July 28, 2021
Para sempre um Campeão 🏆Obrigado por tudo. O nosso @vitorinoantun3s 💚 #SportingCP pic.twitter.com/j4qc64Byq5
Sporting, on the other hand, won the Portuguese top-flight title last term – finishing five points clear of second-place Porto.
In fact, Sporting only lost one of their 34 league games in the previous campaign – picking up 26 wins and eight draws along the way.
They also boasted the best defensive record in the Portuguese top-flight, conceding just 20 goals (0.59 goals per game).
Sporting have enjoyed a successful lead-up to the new season, too, securing three wins and one draw across their four pre-season friendlies.
Following victories over Belenenses and Angers, Sporting beat Lyon 3-2 last time out, with Paulinho bagging a brace.
Braga ended up finishing fourth in the Primeira Liga last term – 12 points shy of third-place Benfica and a whopping 21 points behind champions Sporting.
Although Braga won 19 of their 34 league matches in the previous campaign, seven draws and eight losses ultimately let them down.
Remarkably, Braga have managed to squeeze in eight pre-season friendlies across July and have come away without defeat.
Braga have picked up four wins and four draws across their eight pre-season friendlies, with victories coming over Vizela, Trofense, Moreirense and most recently Ferreira.
It is worth pointing out that Braga head into the Super Cup on a 13-match unbeaten streak in all competitions; a run that stretches all the way back in early May.
Head-to-head: Sporting did the league double over Braga last season, as well as knocking them out of the cup.
Across their three meetings last term, the aggregate scorline was 4-0 in favour of Sporting, with Sporting keeping a clean sheet on each occasion.
Looking at the bigger picture, Sporting have only lost two of their previous eight matches against Braga – picking up five wins and two draws in the process.
Team news: Sporting will be without right-back Pedro Porro on Saturday as the 21-year-old is currently nursing a knee injury.
As for Braga, they have three players sidelined through injury. Left-back Francisco Moura, right winger Iuri Medeiros and centre-back David Carmo are all on the treatment table.
Although Braga won the Portuguese Cup last season, the reigning Primeira Liga champions are expected to flex their muscles and lift the trophy on Saturday.
Forebet predicts that both teams will score. However, Sporting are likely to come out on top and win the Super Cup.