SC Braga and Nottingham Forest will square up against each other on Thursday night for three important points in their quest for a Last 16 spot in the UEFA Europa League.
SC Braga and Nottingham Forest are both pushing for a top-eight finish in the UEFA Europa League table as they look to secure automatic qualification for the round of 16. With only two games to go, the result of this fixture could have a massive say on where they end up finishing.
The home team are seventh on the table with 13 points in their six outings, thanks to four wins, a draw, and a defeat. While the Portuguese outfit started off with three straight wins, they have only won one out of their last three European outing.
In their last European outing, Braga got the better of OGC Nice, clinching a 1-0 win. Meanwhile, the hosts are heading into this fixture on the back of a 1-0 win over Tondela. Os Arsenalistas will be confident about getting the desired result against Nottingham Forest.
The visitors are 11th on the table with 11 points from their six outings, thanks to three wins, two draws and a defeat. While the Tricky Trees were off to a disappointing start, they have won three out of their last four European outings. The English outfit secured a 2-1 win over FC Utrecht in their last Europa League fixture.
Sean Dyche’s men are heading into this fixture on the back of a hard-fought draw against Premier League leaders Arsenal. It will certainly give them a massive boost heading into this fixture. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Team News & Tactics
SC Braga
The home team will be without the services of Amine El Ouazzani (foot) and Sandro Vidigal (unspecified) because of injury. January signing Samy Merheg is ineligible, while Rodrigo Zalazar is suspended.
SC Braga will line up in a 3-4-3 formation, where Lukas Hornicek will take charge in goal. In the heart of the defence, Gustaf Lagerbielke will start alongside Vitor Carvalho and Sikou Niakate. The trio will receive significant support from Mario Dorgeles and Leonardo Lelo, who will feature as the wing-backs.
As for the midfield unit, Florian Grillitsch will pair up with Joao Moutinho in the centre of the park. They will look to ensure Nottingham Forest do not dictate the tempo. Gabri Martinez and Ricardo Horta should feature on the flanks, while Pau Victor should lead the line for Braga against Nottingham Forest on Thursday.
Probable Lineup (3-4-3): Hornicek; Lagerbielke, Carvalho, Niakate; Dorgeles, Grillitsch, Moutinho, Lelo; Martinez, Victor, Horta
Nottingham Forest
The visitors will be without the services of Chris Wood and John Victor, who are both sidelined with knee injuries. Meanwhile, Ola Aina, Omari Hutchinson, Taiwo Awoniyi, Angus Gunn, and Jair Cunha are all unavailable, as they were left out of the Europa League squad.
The Tricky Trees will line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, where Matz Sels will take charge in goal. Nicolo Savona and Neco Williams will be the full-backs, while Murillo and Nikola Milenkovic will feature in the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Elliot Anderson and Douglas Luiz will form the double pivot in middle of the pitch. They will look to shield the backline and ensure they dominate possession as well as the tempo of the game.
Dan Ndoye and Callum Hudson-Odoi will feature on the flanks, providing width to their attacks. Morgan Gibbs-White will take up the number ten role, while Igor Jesus will spearhead the Nottingham Forest attack against SC Braga on Thursday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Sels; Savona, Milenkovic, Murillo, Williams; Anderson, Luiz; Ndoye, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Jesus
Key Stats
- Nottingham Forest have only won one out of their last seven outings across all competitions.
- The two teams have never faced each other in a competitive game.
- The Tricky Trees have already defeated a Portuguese opposition in the Europa League this season (2-0 vs FC Porto on Matchday 3).
- Braga have only won six out of their last 20 meetings against English opposition.
- Braga last faced an English opposition during the 2019/20 Europa League season, and they won 1-0 against Wolves.
Player to Watch
Igor Jesus
The 24-year-old Brazilian attacker will be one to keep a close eye on as Nottingham Forest take on SC Braga, given his impressive impact in European competition this season. Igor Jesus has scored eight goals in 28 appearances across all competitions, with four of those strikes coming in just five Europa League outings.
His efficiency in front of the goal stands out, averaging a goal every 64 minutes in the competition. Against a Braga side aiming to control possession, the Brazilian’s sharp movement and clinical finishing could prove to be the difference.
Prediction
SC Braga 2-2 Nottingham Forest
SC Braga will back themselves to make home advantage count, despite the fact that they have not been in the best of form. The home side’s wing-backs and wide attackers could pose problems for Nottingham Forest, and if they manage to control possession in midfield, the Portuguese side should create enough chances to put the visitors under sustained pressure.
However, Nottingham Forest arrive with momentum of their own, and they have shown resilience against strong opposition, as seen in their recent draw with Arsenal. With pace and creativity in the final third, they are well equipped to hurt Braga on the break.
Given how evenly matched the two sides look on paper, a high-intensity contest could well end with both teams sharing the spoils. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-2 draw in this fixture between SC Braga and Nottingham Forest.
