FC Porto – Braga SOCCER PICKS
144 teams from the top four leagues started in the current edition of the Taca de Portugal and now there are still four: With FC Porto and Sporting Braga meet in the semifinals, two hot candidates for the title. The champion also has an open question, as he lost just three years ago the final against Braga on penalties. Since then, the final of the Blue-Whites has not been reached and the last win of the competition is already eight years back. It would be time again that the previous yield of 16 trophy titles is expanded.
Porto is currently in second place with Sporting in second place after Benfica, which is clearly in front with 26 triumphs. Although the opponent can not compete in terms of the number with two titles, but possibly already in a playful way. The kickers from the north are in third place in the Primeira Liga and despite two recent defeats to Sporting and OS Belenenses are still in the extended circle of title candidates. Away they present themselves always aggressive as the best league offensive in the foreign proves. However, the champions have lost in league play only one of eleven home games and otherwise won all the games in the Estadio de Dragao.
Porto:
After Porto triumphed three times in a row in the Taca de Portugal between 2009 and 2011, no other title has been added yet. This season, however, has already reached the semi-finals and with the home advantage in the back, the odds of course, at least for the upcoming first leg is not bad for the champions. But the shape has been slumped in the meantime in the last few weeks. Although Elf coach Sérgio Conceição is still at the top of the league table, two consecutive draws at the start of the month have brought Benfica back to a dangerous start. Only four points is the lead on the eternal rival, which has a game less.
In addition to the small period of weakness in the Primeira Liga went also the first leg in the first knockout round of the Champions League with 1: 2 at AS Roma and the final match in the League Cup against Sporting lost. The last-mentioned bankruptcy was particularly bitter, as the opponent only prevailed on penalties. Incidentally, the match took place at the Municipal Stadium of Braga, the home of the upcoming opponent. The aforementioned draws in the league against Moreirense and Guimaraes also took place abroad, making it clear that the weaker performances are to be observed especially in foreign countries. At home, the 28-time champion is still very consistent: the most recent 14 home games have been won by Porto and half even including a clean sheet.
Braga:
The previous year’s fourth is currently one better and the gap is up with four points to Benfica and eight to the championship leaders and coming opponents still quite moderate. In recent years, the team of coach Abel Ferreira has more or less subscribed to fourth place: not less than five times in the past eight seasons, this was the placement in the final billing. In general, the dominance of the “Big 3” in the guise of Porto, Benfica and Sporting thus could not be broken, but as “Best of the rest” Braga is already established.
The fact that this season is a little better than in recent years, is certainly also because the Red-whites failed already in the qualification for the Europa League and thus had more resources for the league and the cup competitions. In the League Cup, however, Braga had to say goodbye a few weeks ago in the semifinals, as the home game against Sporting in a curious penalty shootout, because the first four shooters each failed the nerves, lost.
In the Primeira Liga, there was also a setback on the penultimate round, due to a 0-3 away away and the opponent was called again Sporting. In addition, the dress rehearsal was lost last Friday with 0: 2 against OS Belenenses. Although the game was dominated clearly, but despite 17 shots on goal the opposing keeper could not be overcome. The attack on Brazilian striker Dyego Sousa, who scored 14 goals with Sporting’s Ben Dica and Benfica’s Haris Seferović, has been at the top of the scoring charts in the past two league games and has been without a goal. The fact that the league’s four best offensive did not happen twice in succession did not happen in the Guerreiros do Minho before that season.
