Seeking to pick up consecutive wins for the first time in 2023, Vizela take on Braga at the Estadio do FC Vizela in round 24 of the Portuguese Primeira Liga on Saturday.
Os Arcebispos, on the other hand, head into the weekend looking to pick up a third consecutive victory over the home side and move into second place in the league standings.
Match preview
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Vizela picked up their first away win of the year last Saturday as they edged out Estoril Praia 3-0 when the sides squared off at the Estadio Antonio Coimbra da Mota last Saturday.
Milutin Osmajic's 15th-minute strike and a 41st-minute own goal from Joaozinho put the visitors in a commanding two-goal lead heading into half time before Tomas Silva completed the rout with an 83rd-minute strike.
Prior to last weekend's victory, Manuel Tulipa's men were on a run of four consecutive m matches without a win, picking up two draws and losing twice while scoring once and shipping five goals in that time.
The Vizelenses have now picked up eight wins, five draws and lost 10 of their 23 matches so far to collect 29 points and sit ninth in the Primeira Liga table, level on points with 10th-placed Gil Vicente.
While Vizela set out to pick up successive wins for the first time since October, Saturday's game pits them against a Braga side who have won each of their last three meetings since a 1-0 loss in December 2021.
However, Tulipa's side will be backing themselves to end this dry spell on Saturday as they return to the Estadio do FC Vizela, where they are unbeaten in four of their five matches since the start of December, claiming three wins and one draw.
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Braga, on the other hand, continue their quest for just a second-ever Champions League appearance and their first since the 2010-11 campaign as they cruised to a 2-0 victory over Rio Ave last Sunday.
In a one-sided affair at the Estadio Braga Municipal, Fenerbahce loanee Bruma and French striker Simon Banza scored on either side of the half-time interval to hand the hosts a deserved victory.
Prior to that, Artur Jorge's side saw their run of three consecutive league wins come to an end on February 27, when they were beaten 2-1 by Vitoria de Guimaraes at the Estadio Dom Afonso Henriques.
Following their Europa Conference League playoff exit in February, when they were thrashed 7-2 on aggregate by Fiorentina, Braga can now focus primarily on the Primeira Liga, where they are currently third in the league table, two points off second-placed Porto.
Os Arcebispos have also enjoyed a super run in the Taca de Portugal, where they edged out Felgueiras, Moreirense, Vitoria de Guimaraes and Benfica to set up a semi-final showdown with Segunda Liga side Nacional.
However, Braga have struggled to get going on the road in recent weeks, losing three of their last four away matches across all competitions, with a 2-1 win at Maritimo on February 12 being the exception.
Team News
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Vizela will take to the pitch without Portuguese centre-back Bruno Wilson, who suffered a game-ending injury inside the opening 30 against Estoril Praia last Saturday.
In his absence, 26-year-old defender Mohamed Aidara should come into the XI, teaming up with Igor Juliao, Ivanildo Fernandes and Kiki Afonso in the back four.
With his assist against Estoril, Samu has now been involved in seven goals in his last nine matches, and the former Boavista man will be one to keep an eye on.
Barring any late fitness issues, Braga head into the weekend with a clean bill of health and no suspension concerns, giving Jorge the luxury of a full-strength squad at his disposal.
Banza took his goal tally to 10 in the Primeira Liga with his strike against Rio Ave last time out and the French forward could be rewarded with a start on Saturday, forming the front two with Ricardo Horta.
Vizela possible starting lineup:
Buntic; Juliao, Fernandes, Aidara, Afonso; Ortiz; Samu, Guzzo; Moreira, Osmajic, Bondoso
Braga possible starting lineup:
Lima; Gomez, Tormena, Saatci, Sequeira; Medeiros, Al-Musrati, A Horta, Bruma; R Horta, Banza
We say: Vizela 1-3 Braga
Buoyed by last week's victory over Estoril Praia, Vizela will head into the weekend with sky-high confidence and will be looking to build on that result. However, they take on a Braga side who have enjoyed a solid campaign and are pushing for a return to the Champions League. Given the gulf in quality and experience between the two sides, we are backing Braga to come away with all three points in this one.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Joshua Ojele
