Preview: Braga vs Gil Vicente - prediction, team news, lineups

Braga host fellow Minho outfit Gil Vicente at Estadio Municipal de Braga on Sunday in a regional derby that doubles as both sides' second fixture of the new Primeira Liga campaign.

Carlos Vicens's side were held to a 2-2 draw at Moreirense on the opening weekend, while the Roosters got their season up and running with a narrow 1-0 win at home to Rio Ave.

Match preview

Last weekend's opening fixture at Moreirense saw Braga twice fail to hold on to the lead, as Fran Navarro's early strike was cancelled out within 60 seconds before Pau Victor's second-half effort was levelled at the death.

As a result, the Archbishops have now drawn four Primeira Liga matches in succession, a run stretching back to the final three matchdays of last season, when consecutive stalemates saw Vicens's side finish fourth and eventually settled for a Conference League qualifying berth.

Braga's campaign in Europe's third-tier club competition has been solid, with the Archbishops progressing to the playoffs, where they will meet Austria Wien, after edging past Dinamo Minsk 1-0 on aggregate courtesy of a goalless draw away in Bulgaria on Thursday.

Vincens’s men have also shown a high level of defensive quality in most of their competitive outings this season, keeping four clean sheets in five such matches, with the exception being the draw at Moreirense, and will look to be at their best once again this weekend.

The Archbishops will also be looking to improve on last season's home league record, having dropped points in nine of their 17 Primeira Liga matches (W8, D6, L3) at Estadio Municipal de Braga in 2025-26.

History also offers a reminder that this encounter carries no guarantees for the hosts, with Gil Vicente completing the double this fixture last season, winning 1-0 in Braga in September before a 2-1 success in the reverse fixture in February.

Gil Vicente, for their part, opened the new campaign with the perfect start, with Hector Hernandez's 87th-minute penalty proving decisive against a Rio Ave side that had been reduced to 10 men from the 47th minute.

That victory ended a three-match winless run in the league from the final round of the previous campaign, when the Roosters eventually finished sixth in the Primeira Liga standings, despite spending much of the first half of the season in the top four under Cesar Peixoto.

Having marked his first competitive match at the helm with victory last time out, Luis Pinto, who replaced Peixoto in June, will be looking to build on that momentum as he leads his side against the same team he beat with his former club Vitoria de Guimaraes in the Taca da Liga final.

However, Pinto will be well aware of his new team's poor form on the road last term, with Gil Vicente ending 2025-26 without a victory in their final six away matches (D3, L3), a record the 37-year-old manager will look to improve on this campaign.

Braga Primeira Liga form:

Braga form (all competitions):

Gil Vicente Primeira Liga form:

Team News

Braga's draw against Moreirense came at an extra cost, as Bright Arrey-Mbi was forced off and remains a doubt for this encounter after missing Thursday's trip to Bulgaria.

Jean-Baptiste Gorby is also an injury concern for the Archbishops after being unavailable last time out, while long-term absentee Sikou Niakhate and Adrian Barisic remain sidelined with Achilles problem.

Summer signing Jonas Wind, who arrived from Wolfsburg, is yet to be deemed fully match fit and remains a doubt for selection, with the Danish forward likely to be eased into contention gradually.

Gil Vicente will assess the fitness of their squad following the win over Rio Ave, although no fresh injury concerns emerged from that contest, so Pinto could name a similar lineup here.

Facundo Caseres and Andreas Lausen formed the double pivot in that encounter and are expected to continue in those roles.
Hernandez's match-winning penalty on the opening weekend also strengthens his case for a starting berth after beginning that match on the bench.

Braga possible starting lineup:

Fontes; Bajrami, Barcia, Lagerbielke, Gomez; Moutinho, Rodrigues, Tiknaz; Horta, Victor, Silva

Gil Vicente possible starting lineup:

Lucao; Esgaio, Gilbert, Buatu, Weverson; Lausen, Caseres; Fernandes, Garcia, Martins; Hernandez

We say: Braga 1-0 Gil Vicente

Braga's injury situation makes this a trickier assignment than the fixture might otherwise suggest, while Gil Vicente's recent record in this derby offers the visitors genuine encouragement heading into Sunday's meeting.

However, home advantage and the greater squad depth still at Vicens's disposal should be enough to give the Archbishops the edge in what promises to be a tightly contested Minho derby.

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