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

Braga have the chance to close a five-point gap on Moreirense as both sides square off at Estadio Municipal de Braga for round 11 of the Primeira Liga.

The Archbishops currently sit sixth in the standings after collecting 13 points from their opening 10 matches of the campaign, while the visitors occupy fifth place.

Match preview

What seemed like a resurgent spell has started to unravel again as Braga fell to a second straight defeat, finishing on the wrong end of a seven-goal thriller against Genk in the Europa League in midweek.

Despite Rodrigo Zalazar giving the Archbishops the lead, conceding three goals in quick succession left the side chasing shadows, with the Uruguayan’s second of the night and Fran Navarro’s 86th-minute strike only proving to be nothing more than mere consolations.

That defeat brought an end to Braga’s perfect run in the league phase, following a 2-1 Primeira Liga loss at Porto last weekend, which had already halted a four-match winning streak across all competitions.

Carlos Vicens’s men will be desperate to avoid another prolonged slump in the league, having only recently ended a six-game winless spell in the competition with a convincing victory over Casa Pia on matchday nine.

Taking maximum points on Sunday may well depend on Braga’s defensive discipline, given each of their three wins in the Primeira Liga this season – the other two coming against newly promoted Tondela and Alverca – have come with clean sheets.

However, the Archbishops did not need a shutout to get the job done last term, having completed the double over Moreirense with 2-1 and 3-1 victories across both top-flight meetings to stretch their winning run in this fixture to 10 in the league.

Hoping to put an end to this miserable sequence, the visitors travel with renewed optimism after snapping a three-game losing streak across the domestic cup and league with a 2-0 triumph at Arouca last weekend.

That win marked a sixth victory in 10 Primeira Liga outings this season for the Green and Whites, who remain the only side yet to register a draw in the division, reflecting their all-or-nothing approach.

Moreirense have been productive in attack but vulnerable at the back, scoring 15 and conceding 13, and Vasco Botelho da Costa will be hoping for a more balanced performance this weekend, though his team have not recorded consecutive away league wins since May last year.

Braga Primeira Liga form:

Braga form (all competitions):

Moreirense Primeira Liga form:

Moreirense form (all competitions):

Team News

Braga will once again be without midfielder Vitor Carvalho due to fitness concerns, while long-term absentee Jonatas Noro continues his spell on the sidelines.

Having bagged a brace in midweek, Zalazar is expected to keep his place, while Navarro is pushing for a start after finding the net in that fixture, meaning Amine El Ouazzani could drop to the bench, with Pau Victor also in contention for the number nine role.

Moreirense centre-back Marcelo is suspended after accumulating one too many bookings, so Gilberto Batista is likely to step in at the heart of defence.

Meanwhile, Kiko Bondoso remains unavailable, and fellow winger Cedric Teguia could miss a second straight game, while Lawrence Ofori (abductor) is still sidelined.

Guilherme Schettine marked his return to the starting lineup with a brace to take his league tally to seven, and the forward will once again be relied upon to lead the charge.

Braga possible starting lineup:

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

Moreirense possible starting lineup:

Secco; Martínez, Batista, Maracas, Pinto; Stjepanovic, Sousa, Alan; Landerson, Schettine, Teguia

We say: Braga 2-1 Moreirense

Braga’s home campaign has been patchy, with only two wins from five Primeira Liga games (D1, L2), showing their inconsistency at the Estadio Municipal.

On the other hand, the visitors have lost three of their five away league matches (W2), reflecting their vulnerability on the road, so the Archbishops are tipped to edge this contest by the narrowest of margins given their dominance in this fixture.

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