Braga and Real Betis will meet in Minho for the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final tie. Both sides secured turnaround victories in the previous round. Braga overturned a two-goal deficit from the first leg of their last-16 clash with Ferencvaros. Real Betis responded to their defeat at Panathinaikos in emphatic fashion when the two reconvened in Seville.
Braga’s Home Advantage
Many would have predicted Braga to overturn their deficit against Ferencvaros. They welcomed Ferencvaros for the return leg in Minho, and the contest panned out even more straightforwardly than expected. Carlos Vicens’s men were already level on aggregate after 15 minutes, going 2-0 up through strikes from Ricardo Horta and Florian Grillitsch. Gabri Martinez added a third in the 34th minute, before Horta completed his brace after the interval to seal a 4-0 victory.
That triumph sees the Archbishops competing in the quarter-finals of the Europa League for the fourth time and a first since 2021-22. The Minho club has only moved past this stage on one occasion. That came in 2010-11 when they reached their only European final, losing to Porto in an all-Portuguese contest.
Porto were behind Braga’s most recent home setback — a 2-1 league defeat. Winning eight of their previous 10 matches in front of their fans should still provide inspiration for Vicens and co. heading into Wednesday.
An excellent defence has been the hallmark of the Archbishops’ impressive Europa League mainstage campaign. They have kept seven clean sheets in 10 games – no side in the competition has recorded more. They will hope that record counts for something here.
Braga’s solidity at the back was also evident in Saturday’s all-Minho clash at Moreirense. Fran Navarro’s 24th-minute strike proved decisive in earning a 1-0 victory. The result leaves the Arsenalistas fourth in the Primeira Liga table.
Real Betis Seek to Continue UEL Run
Betis head into this clash on the back of a goalless draw against Espanyol. The result leaves the Seville-based outfit fifth in the La Liga table, while also extending a patchy run of form.
El Glorioso have won just one of their last eight matches across all competitions. That sole triumph did come in their most recent Europa League outing, where Manuel Pellegrini’s side secured a 4-0 victory over Panathinaikos. This secured a 4-1 victory on aggregate following a 1-0 defeat in Greece.
- That win secured a maiden UEL quarter-final berth for Betis.
- They did twice reach the last eight of the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup — in 1977-78 and 1997-98.
- Their furthest continental run came last
Braga and Real Betis will hope for a favourable first-leg outcome on Wednesday.