Braga and Benfica braced for eventful Taca de Portugal quarter-final
Sporting Braga vs SL Benfica - 09/02/2023
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The Taca de Portugal quarter-finals take place this week, with Braga and Benfica meeting in the standout tie of the round on Thursday night.
The two sides are separated by 10 points in the Primeira Liga table, with first-placed Benfica leading third-placed Braga, who have a game in hand on their rivals.
Following Braga’s triumph over Benfica in the 2021 Taca de Portugal final, the Eagles will be desperate to gain revenge and make amends this time around.
Braga kicked off their Taca de Portugal campaign with a 2-1 win against Felgueiras 1932 before beating Moreirense 2-1 in the fourth round.
Artur Jorge’s side then booked their place in the quarter-finals with a 3-2 victory over Vitoria de Guimaraes, coming from two goals down to triumph in dramatic fashion.
Braga head into Thursday’s showdown on the back of a 4-1 victory over Famalicao, meaning they have won 15 of their previous 19 outings across all competitions.
It is also worth noting that Braga have recorded just two draws in 32 matches across all competitions this season.
On the flip side, Benfica head into this clash on a seven-game unbeaten streak – having picked up six wins and one draw since their last loss.
When you look at the bigger picture, the Eagles have suffered a solitary defeat this season – winning 30 of their 36 encounters in all competitions.
After knocking out Caldas in their first Taca de Portugal outing, Benfica dispatched Estoril before punching their ticket to their quarter-finals with a 2-0 win against Varzim.
Having scored 51 goals – while conceding just 12 – in 20 league matches this term, Benfica are undoubtedly the strongest team in the country this season.
Head-to-head: It is worth pointing out that Braga have won six of their previous eight matches against Benfica across all competitions.
Both sides claimed two Taca de Portugal victories in this fixture between 2010 and 2021, suggesting that Thursday’s clash could be a close-fought battle.
Team news: Braga look set to be without injured winger Ricardo Horta on Thursday, as the club captain has missed the last three league games.
As for Benfica, they are currently without young striker Goncalo Ramos due to injury, meaning Petar Musa could lead the line for the visitors.
With a place in the Taca de Portugal semi-finals at stake, Braga and Benfica are likely to throw everything at Thursday’s clash.
Forebet predicts that Braga and Benfica will play out a high-scoring draw, with extra time and/or penalties required to decide the winner.
Home team
Away team
Pred
Correct score
Avg. goals
Weather conditions
Coef.
Score
Live
coef.
PtC
333532
X
2 - 2
2.63
11°
3.40
3.60
3.40
1.95
no
no
no
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