Braga vs Betis – News and Probable Lineups

After both teams secured comeback victories in the last round of the Europa League, Braga and Real Betis will aim for a more favorable result in the first leg this Wednesday, as they clash in Minho for the first encounter of their quarter-final matchup.

The Archbishops needed to recover from a two-goal deficit in their last-16 first leg against Ferencvaros to advance, while El Glorioso responded to their loss against Panathinaikos with a strong performance in the return leg held in Seville.

Match overview

Despite facing a 2-0 loss in Budapest, many anticipated that Braga might overturn their deficit when they faced Ferencvaros at home, yet the match unfolded more easily than expected.

Just 15 minutes into the match, Carlos Vicens’s side found themselves level on aggregate, as they went 2-0 ahead with goals from Ricardo Horta and Florian Grillitsch, followed by a third from Gabri Martinez shortly after, and Horta completed his brace after the break to confirm their victory.

This success marks the fourth time the Archbishops are competing in the quarter-finals of the Europa League, and the first since the 2021-22 season. However, they have only advanced past this round once; that achievement came in 2010-11 when they reached their only European final, ultimately falling to Porto in an all-Portuguese match.

Recently, Porto inflicted a 2-1 league defeat on Braga, serving as a reminder of their recent home setback. Nonetheless, with eight wins from their last 10 matches at home (D2), this should inject confidence into Vicens and his team ahead of Wednesday’s clash.

The Archbishops have established an impressive defensive record in this Europa League campaign, having achieved seven clean sheets in 10 games—more than any other team in the competition—and they hope to maintain this trend in the upcoming fixture.

Braga’s defensive solidity was also visible in their recent all-Minho encounter with Moreirense, where Fran Navarro’s goal in the 24th minute secured a narrow 1-0 win, leaving the Arsenalistas sitting fourth in the Primeira Liga standings.

On the other hand, Betis comes into this fixture following a goalless draw against Espanyol, placing the Seville-based team fifth in the La Liga table, while extending a disappointing run of form in recent weeks.

El Glorioso have managed to win only one of their past eight matches across all competitions (D4, L3), though that lone victory was their most recent Europa League match, where Manuel Pellegrini’s team won 4-0 against Panathinaikos, advancing with a 4-1 aggregate after a 1-0 loss in Greece.

This win secured Betis their first quarter-final appearance in the UEL, although they previously reached the last eight of the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup twice—in 1977-78 and 1997-98. Their furthest progression came last season when the Seville club made it to the Europa Conference League final, where they were defeated by Chelsea.

Notably, El Glorioso’s road to that final featured a commanding performance during their last visit to Minho, where they triumphed 4-0 against Braga’s rivals Vitoria de Guimaraes, which could provide them with motivation ahead of Wednesday’s meeting, marking their first encounter with Braga.

However, the visitors’ poor record on the road raises concerns about their chances in this midweek clash, as Pellegrini’s squad has lost each of their last three away matches and failed to score in two of those outings.

Team News

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Braga will continue to be without Bosnian centre-back Adrian Barisic, who has been out due to a muscle issue since late February, while Brazilian midfielder Victor Carvalho is still on the road to recovery from a hip injury.

Uruguayan international Rodrigo Zalazar, who withdrew from international duty due to an injury sustained against Porto, is doubtful for this match after missing the trip to Moreirense over the weekend.

Consequently, Navarro is expected to maintain his position in the attack, while Pau Victor will cover Zalazar’s role in support alongside team captain Horta, with former Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Joao Moutinho anticipated to orchestrate play in the midfield.

Meanwhile, Betis are still without their key playmaker in the midfield, as Isco is sidelined with an ankle injury that has ruled him out since November.

Giovani Lo Celso is recovering from a muscle issue, while Junior Firpo and Angel Ortiz—both of whom were absent last weekend—are continuing their rehabilitation from respective fitness concerns.

Antony is the leading scorer for the team this season, finding the net 12 times across all competitions, and the former Manchester United winger is likely to keep his position on the right wing.

Braga probable starting XI:

Lineup here

Real Betis probable starting XI:

Lineup here

Prediction justification text here