Table-topping Benfica welcome third-placed Braga to the Estadio da Luz on Saturday, with six points separating the title rivals in the Primeira Liga standings.
With only four games remaining, Benfica find themselves four points clear of second-placed Porto, who have won each of their last five league outings.
É tão bom ganhar em casa… 🥰Seguimos 𝗷𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗼𝘀 em busca de mais vitórias. #QueremosMais pic.twitter.com/14UTc7xWyW— SC Braga (@SCBragaOficial) April 29, 2023
É tão bom ganhar em casa… 🥰Seguimos 𝗷𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗼𝘀 em busca de mais vitórias. #QueremosMais pic.twitter.com/14UTc7xWyW
Given that Braga trail Porto by two points, the outcome of Saturday’s showdown in Lisbon is destined to have a big say on the title race.
Let's start by looking at the hosts, Benfica, who notched 10 successive league victories between January and April to all but wrap up the Primeira Liga title.
Although subsequent defeats to Porto and Chaves enabled the chasing pack to close the gap on the leaders, the Eagles soared back with victories over Estoril and Gil Vicente.
Remarkably, Benfica have lost just three of their 30 league matches this season, picking up 25 wins along the way.
Boasting the best offensive record (71) and the best defensive record (17) in the division, Benfica will back themselves to seal the title before too long.
As for Braga, they extended their winning streak in the league to five matches with a 4-1 victory over Portiminense last time out.
Better still, Braga have avoided defeat in each of their last eight league games, securing seven wins in the process.
When you look at the bigger picture, Braga have won 15 of their previous 18 Primeira Liga clashes to keep pace with the top two.
Having won 12 of their past 15 away league games – scoring over 1.5 goals on two occasions – Braga will fancy their chances of upsetting Benfica on Saturday.
Head-to-head: Across all competitions, Braga have lost just one of their last five meetings with Benfica, picking up three wins in that time.
It is also worth noting that Braga have won four of their previous six Primeira Liga encounters with Benfica, scoring over 2.5 goals in three of those victories.
Team news: Benfica look set to be without the injured duo of Julian Draxler (ankle) and Alexnader Bah (knee) for the foreseeable future.
On the flip side, Braga have reported no fresh injury problems ahead of Saturday’s clash, with Nuno Sequeira returning to action last time out.
When you couple Braga’s current form with their recent record against Benfica, all the signs point towards an away win here.
Forebet predicts that Braga will score over 1.5 goals and keep a clean sheet on their way to defeating Benfica.