Sporting Braga vs Vitoria Guimaraes
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Today’s secondary featured game is the Liga Sagres games between Sporting Braga and Vitoria Guimaraes.
Braga are a phenomenal force to be reckoned with on their own turf. I don’t think I’m exaggerating by stating that Braga can beat any side in Portugal at the AXA Stadion. However, this is a very difficult game for them, in my view, which possibly wouldn’t have been the case in the past.
Braga have some good players and love to stretch opponents with their pacey wide men. They’re far from a prolific side but they’re ruthlessly efficient and are very tight at the back by Portuguese standards. They’re not a side to bet against very often but they’re not a side to handicap, either.
Now, Vitoria Guimaraes aren’t as good as Braga; quite far from it, in fact. However, they’ve gone through a phase lately where they’ve simply been impossible to break through. They’ve conceded in just one of their last four games in all competitions and considering that the one goal shipped came on a mammoth journey to The Azores where they lost 1-0 against Santa Clara, I think it’s fair that we should be taking Vitoria seriously here.
I thought it was too good to be true at first so I tuned in to watch them entertain Benfica earlier this week. Benfica are easily the best side in Portugal this season with a whole host of attacking options and the fact that they’ve bagged for fifty-four consecutive games prior to that game only backs up my point. However, try as they might, they couldn’t break through Vitoria. Nolito had a half-chance and there was the odd penalty claim but Benfica did nothing to them, which was staggering; I’ve never seen any side withstand Benfica like that. Benfica were below-par but still – a crazy result.
Vitoria have so much confidence from this run and the side are really playing for one another now. They’re defending unlike any other Portuguese side (well, perhaps barring Beira-Mar!) and are proving a force to be reckoned with. They’re not an attacking threat because they lack the players to be one but they’re still a nightmare side to face so I think they’ll give Braga a tough game here.
I’d not touch the 1×2 market in this game although you do have to expect Braga to edge it. Instead, I’m rolling with under 2.5 goals as it’s generously priced at 5/6 and Vitoria look as solid as a brick wall right now.
Verdict: Under 2.5 goals at 5/6.
Monday’s Picks
As ever, if there are any explanations required then please feel free to post a comment! For the remainder of my thoughts on today’s games, see below, although I feel compelled to write that the below are not necessarily my tips but merely my thoughts to prevent endless questions about my thoughts on certain games!
International Friendly:
Azerbaijan vs India (8) 2-0
Czech Republic Gambrinus Liga:
Slavia Prague vs Teplice (5) 1-2
Finnish League Cup:
Haka Valkeakoski vs IFK Mariehamn (7) 2-1
Israeli Ligat Ha’al:
Bnei Sakhnin vs Hapoel Haifa (7) 1-0
Polish Ekstraklasa:
GKS Belchatow vs Gornik Zabrze (6) 1-0
Portuguese Liga Sagres:
Sporting Braga vs Vitoria Guimaraes (5) 1-0
Swiss Challenge League:
Delemont vs Winterthur (5)
Enjoy your free betting tips!