Dinamo Minsk vs Braga – News and Probable Lineups

For Dinamo Minsk to turn their fortunes around at Stadion Beroe, they will need to address a troubling trend as they face Braga in the second leg of their Conference League third qualifying round on Thursday.

The Belarusian team experienced a 1-0 loss in the first leg last week in Portugal, setting them a challenging task to qualify, especially considering their struggles at the Beroe ground—now their home venue due to UEFA’s ongoing restrictions on clubs from Belarus.

Match overview

Entering the first leg against Braga, Dinamo Minsk were viewed as underdogs, yet their supporters would have held some hope given their recent successes away in their previous continental matches.

Nonetheless, the disparity in quality was evident in the match stats, with Alyaksandr Shahoyka’s squad holding only 27% possession and managing three attempts (one on target), in contrast to their opponents’ twelve attempts (three on goal).

The pivotal moment arrived just before half-time when Ricardo Horta netted from the penalty spot, allowing Dinamo Minsk to continue their streak of losing at least once in each of their three rounds of Conference League qualifying this season.

Particularly noteworthy is that all three defeats occurred with a 1-0 scoreline, including losses against Sileks and Neftchi Baku in earlier rounds, and both of these matches took place at Stadion Beroe, indicating that they face a tough challenge in Thursday’s home fixture.

Should they fail to overcome their deficit this week, Dinamo Minsk would miss out on a spot in the main phase of a European competition for the second year in a row, having previously exited in the league phase of the 2024-25 season—a situation the Belarusian side is keen to avoid.

Meanwhile, Braga has been more consistent on the continental stage, and while the Minho club has had to settle for Conference League qualifiers this season after a streak of seven consecutive appearances in either the Champions League or Europa League, they have shown their capabilities in Europe’s third-tier competition.

The victory in last week’s first leg means that Carlos Vicens’s team has secured clean sheets in each of their three continental matches, following a dominant 5-0 aggregate win over Zeleznicar Pancevo in the previous round.

However, Braga faced a setback at the weekend, where they were held to a 2-2 draw against Moreirense in their Primeira Liga opener, with Vicens’ rotated squad conceding leads on two occasions after goals from Fran Navarro and Pau Victor.

A similar outcome on Thursday would suffice for Braga to advance to the Conference League playoff round against either Beitar Jerusalem or Áustria Vienna, and the Minho side will feel confident, having not lost in their last six competitive matches.

Nonetheless, they will proceed with some caution, particularly since their last defeat occurred on the European stage when they fell 3-1 away to Freiburg in the return leg of last season’s Europa League semi-final.

Team News

Dinamo Minsk completed the first leg against Braga seemingly without any new injuries, but they will again be without winger Ivan Bakhar, who has been sidelined since March due to a hamstring issue.

Karen Vardanyan may return to lead the attack here, having come on as a substitute last week, meaning Leonard Gweth is likely to make way after a subpar performance in his first start of the season on the continental stage.

Braga’s head coach Vicens made significant adjustments and employed a three-man defense during last weekend’s league matchup compared to the lineup that started in the first leg against Dinamo Minsk, but it is expected that players such as Joao Moutinho and Pau Victor will return to the starting XI.

Bright Arrey-Mbi sustained an injury in that draw against Moreirense, making him doubtful for this encounter, while fellow defenders Sikou Niakhate and Adrian Barisic remain out with Achilles and abductor issues, respectively.

Dinamo Minsk probable starting XI:

Shimakovich; Gurban, Ivanov, Kalinin, Vakulich; Selyava, Zhechko, Abdullahi; Djimet, Vardanyan, Malashevich

Braga probable starting XI:

Sources; V Gomez, Barcia, V Carvalho, Bajrami; Moutinho, Gorby, Huseinbasic; G Silva, Horta, Victor

Dinamo Minsk will likely seek to overturn their deficit, but Braga appears to have the upper hand in terms of quality, which could see them exploit the hosts’ weaknesses when they push men forward.

Nonetheless, a cautious approach is anticipated, likely resulting in a low-scoring match, even if the Portuguese visitors are favored to come out on top.