Preview:Chaves vs. Braga - prediction, team news, lineups

Chaves and Braga will be looking to pick up their first win of the 2023-24 Portuguese Primeira Liga campaign when they go head to head on Saturday evening.

As Arcebispos journey to the Estadio Municipal Eng. Manuel Branco Teixeira where they have won each of their four visits since a goalless draw in March 2017 and will look to continue in the same vein.

Match preview

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Chaves were denied a dream start to the 2023-24 Primeira Liga campaign as they fell to a 2-0 defeat against Rio Ave in last Sunday's league opener at the Estadio dos Arcos.

In a game where Bruno Langa received his marching orders inside the opening quarter hour, Leonardo Ruiz and Ze Manuel scored second-half goals to hand the Vilacondenses a comfortable victory.

Jose Manuel Gomes' men have now lost their opening two competitive matches this season after their Taca da Liga qualification campaign came to an end on July 22 courtesy of a penalty-shootout loss to AVS Futebol.

Chaves' slow start to the season has been in keeping with their unconvincing performances in pre-season, where they picked up just two wins while losing twice and claiming two draws in their six friendly matches.

The Flavienses enjoyed an impressive return to the top flight last season as they picked up 46 points from 34 matches to finish seventh in the table, just one place behind the Europa Conference League qualification spot.

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Braga, on the other hand, cruised through the third round of Champions League qualifiers as they claimed a 4-1 second-leg victory over Backa Topola on Tuesday to complete a 7-1 aggregate win over the Serbian outfit.

Os Arcebispos raced into a four-goal lead inside the opening 20 minutes courtesy of goals from Pizzi, Mutassim Al-Musrati and a brace from Bruma before Marko Rakonjac pulled one back in the 39th minute.

Prior to that, Braga kicked off the new Primeira Liga campaign with a somewhat disappointing 2-1 loss to Famalicao last Friday, Afonso Rodrigues and Oscar Aranda scoring second-half goals to cancel out Ricardo Horta's ninth-minute opener.

Like this weekend's hosts, Artur Jorge's side will be looking to build on the success of their 2022-23 campaign, where they finished third in the league standings and also reached the final of the Taca de Portugal.

Braga will be backing themselves to get up and running in the Primeira Liga this weekend as they take on an opposing side who have managed just one win and lost seven of their last nine meetings since October 2016.

Team News

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Chaves will have to cope without defender Langa, who is currently on a one-game suspension after receiving an early bath in last weekend's opener.

In his absence, 21-year-old Eduardo Borges could be handed his first league start of the season, forming the back three with Bruno Rodrigues and Ygor Nogueira.

On the injury front, Gomes will be unable to call upon Brazilian defender Euller, who has been out of action since picking up a muscle problem against Pacos de Ferreira back in May.

Following his brace on Tuesday, Bruma now has four goal involvements in three matches across all competitions and the 28-year-old will be one to keep an eye on.

Paulo Oliveira and highly-rated youngster Serdar Saatci should return to the XI after sitting out the midweek win, while Al-Musrati and Vitor Carvalho should team up at the centre of the park once again.

Chaves possible starting lineup:

Souza; Rodrigues, Nogueira, Borges; Sylla, Nwakali, Pedro, Cruz; Victor, Hernandez, Souza

Braga possible starting lineup:

Lima; Gomez, Oliveira, Saatci, Borja; Al-Musrati, Carvalho; A Horta, R Horta, Bruma; Ruiz

We say: Chaves 1-3 Braga

Buoyed by their resounding midweek win, Braga will head into the weekend with renewed confidence as they look to get their league campaign up and running. Jorge's men have enjoyed the better of this fixture and we are backing them to come out on top once again.

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