Preview: Benfica vs Braga - prediction, team news, lineups

Benfica will continue their Taca da Liga title defence when they square up to Braga at the Estadio Dr. Magalhaes Pessoa on Wednesday, with a place in the final at stake.

The two sides meet at this stage of the competition for a second successive season, with the Eagles having cruised past the Archbishops on their way to lifting the League Cup last term.

Match preview

Wednesday’s encounter carries a sense of deja vu for Benfica, who will be aiming to replicate their 3-0 victory over Braga in last season’s Taca da Liga semi-finals.

The Eagles went on to lift the trophy for a record eighth time, edging Sporting Lisbon on penalties in what proved to be the only competition in which they got the better of their city rivals in 2024-25.

Having played second fiddle to Sporting in both the Primeira Liga and Taca de Portugal that season, Benfica did strike back at the start of the current campaign by overcoming the Lions to lift the Super Cup.

The Reds are now just days away from potentially adding another domestic honour in 2025-26, with the Taca da Liga final scheduled for January 10, though reaching that stage may require navigating a demanding run of fixtures with a depleted squad.

Even if Benfica overcome Braga — whom they drew 2-2 with in their last league outing of 2025 — a testing final against either Sporting or Vitoria de Guimaraes would await, while a Portuguese Cup quarter-final clash with Porto follows just four days later.

Despite the congested schedule, Jose Mourinho’s side can take comfort from their resilience, having gone 22 domestic matches without defeat, winning 16 in that run, including a 3-0 success over Tondela in the Taca da Liga quarter-finals.

The run was extended last weekend with a 3-1 victory over Estoril Praia in Benfica’s first game of the year, inspired by a Vangelis Pavlidis hat-trick, with the result leaving them third in the Primeira Liga standings, although the Reds remain 10 points off the summit.

Braga, meanwhile, endured a frustrating start to 2026 after surrendering a two-goal lead in a 3-3 draw away at Estrela Amadora, leaving the Archbishops fifth in the table and one point adrift of the top four.

Carlos Vicens’s side are now without a victory in two matches, having also shared the spoils with Benfica at the end of 2025, while a 3-0 Taca de Portugal victory over Caldas remains their only success in four outings (D2, L1), making Wednesday’s task more daunting.

Braga have failed to win any of the last four meetings between the sides, though they remain unbeaten in the last two, leaving cause for optimism considering how their last Taca da Liga success over Benfica panned out.

That came via penalties in the 2012–13 quarter-finals before the Archbishops lifted the trophy for the first time, with their most recent triumph coming in 2023–24, and the three-time League Cup winners will be hoping for a repeat this season.

Benfica Taca da Liga form:

Benfica form (all competitions):

Braga Taca da Liga form:

Braga form (all competitions):

Team News

Benfica are grappling with several absentees, with Enzo Barrenechea and Antonio Silva the latest additions to the injury list after missing last weekend’s win over Estoril.

Right-back Alexander Bah continues his recovery from a serious knee problem sustained almost a year ago, while midfielder Nuno Felix also remains sidelined with the same issue.

Wingers Bruma and Dodi Lukebakio are still unavailable due to Achilles and ankle injuries, respectively, and goalkeeper Samuel Soares is out with a muscle problem.

Braga’s recent signing Samy Merheg has yet to make his debut because of registration issues, leaving his availability uncertain.

In terms of injuries, striker Amine El Ouazzani (metatarsal), Jonatas Noro, Gustaf Lagerbielke and Sandro Vidigal are all expected to miss out again.

Meanwhile, defender Sikou Niakate is away on Africa Cup of Nations duty, but team captain Ricardo Horta returns after serving a suspension.

Benfica possible starting lineup:

Trubin; Dedic, T Araujo, Otamendi, Dahl; Rios, Aursnes; Sudakov, Barreiro, Prestianni; Pavlidis

Braga possible starting lineup:

Hornicek; Gomez, V Carvalho, Arrey-Mbi, Lelo; Gorby; Dorgeles, Moutinho, Horta; Zalazar, Navarro

We say: Benfica 2-1 Braga

Benfica carry the stronger momentum but are stretched thin by injuries, with Mourinho having been forced to field largely unchanged lineups in recent outings, raising concerns over fatigue.

Braga are also dealing with absences and have struggled to turn performances into wins of late, so the Eagles’s pedigree in this competition could prove decisive, though they may have to get the victory the hard way.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.