Santa Clara, still in relegation danger, are set to face Braga at Estadio de Sao Miguel. Santa Clara has not beaten their visitors in six years. Braga are nine places above them in the Primeira Liga table.
Santa Clara’s Relegation Concerns
Petit’s men are looking nervously over their shoulders again. Santa Clara’s five-match unbeaten run between late February and late March lifted them eight points clear of second-bottom Tondela and six above Nacional in the playoff spot.
However, failure to win in the last three has dampened the mood again in Ponta Delgada. The Azoreans are still eight clear of Tondela but now just three points above Casa Pia in the relegation playoff spot.
Petit’s team will welcome a return to Estadio de Sao Miguel, where they have secured 17 of their 29 points, accounting for 58.6% of their total.
Braga’s Dominance and Europa League Focus
The Azoreans have fallen to eight defeats in 11 meetings in all competitions since earning back-to-back successes in June and September 2020. Braga head into the encounter aware of their dominance, which has produced six wins in the last seven, comprising four clean sheets. The last two meetings have yielded 5-0 and 1-0 wins for Carlos Vicens’s side.
Braga are currently fourth, 15 points behind third and unable to catch Sporting with four games left. They have an eight-point lead over fifth-placed Famalicao. As the visitors prepare for their Europa League semi-final first leg against Freiburg, they may prioritise their continental commitments over a top-flight game.
Vicens’s men have earned 30 points in 2026, outdoing all but Benfica (36) and Porto (33).
Team News and Absences
Matheus Araujo has yet to play in 2026 due to a knee injury. Henrique Silva will serve a one-game suspension for accumulated yellow cards.
Vinicius Lopes heads into Sunday as Santa Clara’s leading scorer, but the six-goal forward has scored just once since January’s 3-3 draw at Nacional. Gabriel Silva has scored three of his four league goals in 2026, but the Brazilian has fired blank.
The off-form hosts must play well to defeat Vicens’s men, pointing to Os Arsenalistas’ consistency.