Portuguese club SC Braga are all set to host the record Champions League winners Real Madrid at the Braga Municipal Stadium.
Real Madrid will continue their winning streak in the UEFA Champions League when they hit the road to square up against SC Braga. While Los Blancos will look to make it three wins in a row, Braga will look to cause a historic upset and add another three points to their tally.
Braga’s journey in the 2023/24 Champions League started with a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Napoli. But, they did manage to bounce back in Matchday 2 thanks to a hard-fought 3-2 win over Union Berlin.
They might have claimed all three points last time out but next square up against one of the toughest oppositions in UCL, Real Madrid. The Portuguese club are heading into this match on the back of a 2-0 win in the third round of their domestic cup, and they will be confident of putting up a great fight.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid started of their Champions League campaign this season with a 1-0 win against Union Berlin thanks to a late winner by Jude Bellingham. They followed it up with a 3-2 win over Napoli. The scoreline might suggest it was close but in reality, Madrid were in control throughout.
The team in white are heading into this fixture on the back of a disappointing 1-1 draw and they will look to return to winning ways and continue their winning run in the Champions League. Meanwhile, The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both the squads and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Team News & Tactics
SC Braga
The home team does not really have much to worry about in terms of injuries and suspensions. Apart from Victor Gomez, everyone else is expected to be available.
Todo o foco na Champions ⚔️
Todos os jogos do @SCBragaOficial na Champions League são em Exclusivo na DAZN, a nova casa da ELEVEN 🌟#ChampionsELEVEN pic.twitter.com/3fv3OxPfoU
— DAZN Portugal (@DAZNPortugal) October 22, 2023
Braga will line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, where Matheus will be in goal. Joe Mendes and Cristian Borja will be the full-backs. While they would love to join the attack, the duo are expected to have a tough day at work as they will have to cope with Madrid’s attack from wide areas. In the heart of the defence, Serdar Saatci will pair up with Sikou Niakate.
Rodrigo Zalazar and Al-Musrati will form the double pivot in the centre of the park. The duo will look to support their defence and form a wall in front of the back line. They will also look to intercept balls and initiate counter-attacks.
Ricardo Horta will feature as the attacking midfielder. He will have the support of Alvaro Djalo and Bruma who will feature on wide on the flanks. Meanwhile, Simon Banza will lead the line for SC Braga vs Real Madrid.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Matheus; Mendes, Saatci, Niakate, Borja; Zalazar, Al-Musrati; Djalo, Horta, Bruma; Banza
Real Madrid
The visitors will be without the services of Eder Militao, Thibaut Courtois, Dani Ceballos and Arda Guler. While Guler has returned from injury, Real Madrid are in no hurry to hand his debut and have not included him in their squad for this away trip.
📋✅ Our squad for the match 🆚 @SCBragaOficial! #UCL pic.twitter.com/1kiNt4E4VE
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) October 22, 2023
Carlo Ancelotti will stick to the 4-4-2 formation with a diamond in the centre of the park. Kepa Arrizabalaga will take charge in goal. Dani Carvajal and Ferland Mendy are expected to continue as the full-backs. Meanwhile, in the heart of the defence, David Alaba will pair up with Antonio Rudiger.
Aurelien Tchouameni will take care of the defensive side of things. Eduardo Camavinga will return to the starting XI with Toni Kroos dropping to the bench. Luka Modric could start ahead of Federico Valverde on the right side of the midfield.
Jude Bellingham who has already scored ten goals in the season will continue as the attacking midfielder behind the Brazilian duo of Rodrygo Goes and Vinicius Junior.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Kepa; Carvajal, Rudiger, Alaba, Mendy; Modric, Tchouameni, Camavinga; Bellingham; Rodrygo, Vinicius
Key Stats
- This will be the first-ever meeting between SC Braga and Real Madrid.
- The Portuguese club are on a five-match winning streak in all competitions heading into this fixture.
- Real Madrid have only lost one out of their seven away games this season in all competitions. They have won five of those outings.
- Braga have not lost in four out of their last five home games.
- Los Blancos have been unbeaten in their last five games. They have won four and played out a draw once.
Player to Watch
Vinicius Junior
Vinicius Junior has not been at his best this season. He might have returned from injury but is yet to bring his ‘A’ game to the table. The 23-year-old winger has been involved in eight matches this season, but he has found the back of the net just three times.
He was expected to be the leader of Real Madrid post the departure of Karim Benzema. But he is yet to step up and the Brazil international will be eager to put up a show when he takes the field against SC Braga.
Prediction
SC Braga 0-3 Real Madrid
Real Madrid might not be in the best of form. They might have played out a draw in their last league outing against Sevilla. But the visitors are still the favourites heading into this encounter.
Things might be going well for Braga of late, and they might have won their last Champions League match against Union Berlin. But, they still do not have enough in their tank to overpower one of the biggest clubs in Europe. As a result, The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-0 win for the visitors.
