Preview: Braga vs Zeleznicar Pancevo - prediction, team news, lineups

Braga look to seal progression into the next phase of the Conference League as they welcome Zeleznicar Pancevo to the Estadio Municipal de Braga for the return leg of their second qualifying round tie on Thursday.

The Portuguese outfit secured a 1-0 victory in last week's first leg in Serbia thanks to Ricardo Horta's 67th-minute penalty and will aim to finish the job in front of their own supporters.

Match preview

Although Braga won four of their five pre-season friendlies (D1), last week's victory in Serbia marked the Archbishops' first competitive success since late April, having failed to record victory in any of their final four matches (D3, L1) of the 2025-26 campaign.

That barren run included three draws in the Primeira Liga, where Carlos Vicens' men finished fourth, while their only defeat during that spell came in a 3-1 loss at Freiburg in the second leg of their Europa League semi-final after claiming a 2-1 home success in the first leg.

Having won seven of their last nine European matches on their own turf inside 90 minutes (D1, L1), only few will doubt Braga's ability to get the job done on Thursday and advance to the next round.

The Portuguese side have also scored seven goals and conceded just once across their last two continental qualifying fixtures at the Estadio Municipal de Braga, so the main question may be by what margin the hosts progress in their maiden Conference League campaign.

Zeleznicar, meanwhile, are competing in Europe for the first time in their history after securing a fourth-placed finish in last season's Serbian Super Liga, capping an impressive rise for a club that only earned promotion to the top flight in 2023.

Radomir Kokovic's side began the new Super Liga season with a 2-1 victory over Radnicki Nis on July 17, but they were unable to build on that winning start, having fallen to Braga in last week's first leg.

The Serbian outfit certainly made life difficult for their visitors, producing twice as many shots as the Archbishops, registering eight attempts, three of which were on target, and the Diesel Locomotive will hope to take confidence from that display as they chase a famous result in Portugal.

However, consistency has proved elusive for Zeleznicar, who have won just two of their last seven matches dating back to the end of the 2025-26 season, a spell that also included four winless outings from five pre-season friendlies.

In fact, Kokovic's men have managed only two victories from their last nine competitive matches, although avoiding defeat in five of those fixtures should give the visitors some belief heading into Thursday's decisive contest.

Braga Conference League form:

Zeleznicar Pancevo Conference League form:

Zeleznicar Pancevo form (all competitions):

Team News

Braga appeared to come through the first leg without any fresh injury concerns, although defender Sikou Niakate remains sidelined with an Achilles tendon rupture he suffered during April's Europa League quarter-final against Real Betis.

Victor Rodrigues, who returned from injury in last week's victory, is expected to keep his place in midfield, while Vicens is unlikely to make many changes to the side that won in Serbia.

Summer signing Sergio Barcia made his competitive debut in the first leg and should continue alongside Victor Carvalho in central defence, with Bright Arrey-Mbi and Victor Gomez expected to complete the back four in front of goalkeeper Lukas Hornicek.

Veteran Joao Moutinho is set to anchor the midfield once again, while Pau Victor should lead the attack, with captain Horta and Gabri Martinez providing support from the flanks.

Zeleznicar also emerged from last week's contest without any fresh fitness concerns, so head coach Kokovic could name a similar starting lineup despite the defeat.

Nikola Jovanovic, Simao Pedro and Sylvester Jasper are set to spearhead the attack once more, while Janko Jevremovic should partner Kristian Sekularac and Clement Lhernault in midfield.

The back four protecting goalkeeper Zoran Popovic is expected to consist of Uros Tegeltija, Mirko Milikic, Nemanja Vidojevic and Nikola Djuricic.

Braga possible starting lineup:

Hornicek; Gomez, Barcia, Carvalho, Arrey-Mbi; Gorby, Moutinho, Rodrigues; Horta, Pau Victor, Martinez

Zeleznicar Pancevo possible starting lineup:

Popovic; Djuricic, Vidojevic, Milikic, Tegeltija; Lhernault, Jevremovic, Sekularac; Jasper, Pedro, Jovanovic

We say: Braga 3-0 Zeleznicar Pancevo (Braga win 4-1 aggregate)

The first leg proved more competitive than many anticipated, but returning to familiar surroundings should allow Braga to show the gulf in quality between the two sides.

The Archbishops have built a strong record at home in European qualifiers, and another convincing victory looks the most likely outcome as they book their place in the next round.

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