Verdict: Total away goals under 0.5
Best odds: 8/11
Bookmaker: 888sport
Braga will aim to capitalize on home advantage when they host Levski Sofia at Estadio Municipal this Thursday in the second leg of their Europa League second qualifying round tie.
The opening leg in Bulgaria ended in a 0-0 stalemate, with both sides evenly matched across most attacking stats, the main difference being Braga̢۪s superior possession.
Braga
Despite a flawless pre-season in which they won all five friendlies and scored 11 goals, Braga̢۪s display in Sofia left plenty to be desired.
There was little hard luck in the result either, as the Portuguese side’s 62% share of possession did not translate into cutting edge, with just two shots on target â€" the same number as their disciplined hosts.
That encounter marked Carlos Vicens̢۪s competitive debut as manager, and he will now seek his first official win with Braga, who are also without a win in their last five competitive games.
The Archbishops ended their 2024/25 campaign with a four-match winless streak, which saw them finish fourth in the Primeira Liga and miss out on automatic qualification to the Europa League group stage â€" hence their current position in the qualifiers.
Regular European participants, Braga have reached the UEL group stage six seasons running, and though last week̢۪s draw was underwhelming, they remain favourites to progress, especially with the decisive leg taking place at home.
The Minho club won eight of their final 10 home matches last term â€" though the last two ended in draws â€" and will look to recapture that clinical form at Estadio Municipal on Thursday.
Team News
Centre-back Jonatas Noro remains a doubt with an Achilles injury, but Braga have no other injury concerns.
Vicens may look to shake things up in attack, with Amine El Ouzzani a candidate to lead the line and Roger Fernandes potentially replacing Rodrigo Zalazar on the wing.
Levski Sofia
Levski Sofia can take heart from their spirited first-leg showing, but they know replicating that effort alone may not be enough to end a near 15-year wait for a group-stage return.
The Bulgarian side̢۪s only Europa League group stage appearances came in 2009/10 and 2010/11, but they̢۪ve demonstrated plenty of steel in their bid to get back.
Much like last week̢۪s match, Levski were held to a goalless home draw by Be̢۪er Sheva in the previous round before advancing on penalties after a 1-1 draw away, so they are no strangers to grinding out results on the road.
Julio Velazquez̢۪s team have shown strong away form, now unbeaten in nine straight away matches, the latest being a 2-1 weekend win over Septemvri Sofia after their penalty triumph in Israel.
Team News
Velazquez made major changes between the first leg and the weekend fixture, with only Svetoslav Vustov, Georgi Kostadinov and Gasper Trdin retaining their spots in both matches.
Mustapha Sangare and Radoslav Kirilov made an impact off the bench in the weekend game and are expected to feature from the start this time as Velazquez reverts to a stronger XI.
Conclusion
Given their European experience, Braga enter the second leg as clear favourites, and anything other than a win at home would come as a significant surprise.
Verdict: Total away goals under 0.5
Best odds: 8/11
Bookmaker: 888sport