Braga vs FC Arouca Prediction: Backing The Arsenalistas To Record Their Third Consecutive Victory

Braga will play FC Arouca at the Estádio Municipal de Braga in the 21st round of the Primeira Liga, where they have been impressive with their performance.

Will FC Arouca's three-game winless run come back to haunt them in this match, resulting in a disappointing loss in their quest to win again?

Let's have a look at the latest Portuguese Primeira Liga predictions between Braga vs FC Arouca, team news, probable lineups, match facts and up to date betting odds for you to consider!

Braga

Form: WWLWW

One would have thought that the Arsenalistas would be a strong and competitive side against Fiorentina of Italy's Serie A in the first leg of the Europa League, given that they had the support of their fans at the Estádio Municipal de Braga and the vast experience they had in the competition was too impressive to ignore.

However, they shot themselves in the foot with a 4:0 defeat, making things difficult for their return to the second leg, which will see them with a four-goal deficit to cover. A sensational comeback will be the only answer they need at this point, or else they'll be grasping at straws.

Two consecutive wins against Famalicao and Maritimo following their morale-crushing defeat on the road against Sporting CP (5:0) have only meant that they haven't given up on their goal of finishing second in the standings.

Finishing in fourth place for two years in a row has sparked some motivation for a change of scenery as they currently occupy third place with 46 points and need not worry as they have safely maintained a breathing space between themselves and fourth-place Sporting CP by being seven points ahead of them.

Team News

Braga will be unable to call on Jean-Baptiste Gorby, who has been out for nearly two months due to a muscle injury.

Probable Starting XI

Formation: 4-2-3-1

Lima; Gomez, Oliveira, Niakate, Borja; Racic, Castro; A Horta, Pizzi, Djalo; Banza

FC Arouca

Form: WDLWD

With a four-year absence from the Primeira Liga, Arouquenses were promoted in the 2021/22 season, where they almost came near to being relegated, but due to luck, they finished the season just two points above the relegation playoffs in 15th place and have been active in the top flight up until now, where they've undoubtedly fared well.

The Arouquenses have raised the bar this time around, aiming for the Europa League qualifier spot after falling short in the Taca da Liga semi-finals against Sporting CP at home, effectively ruling out their chances of adding silverware to their trophy cabinet.

Following that, they were defeated by table leaders Benfica 3:0 at home, but they managed a draw against Gil Vincente (1:1) on the road and rebounded with a home win over Santa Clara (1:0), putting them on a two-match unbeaten streak. Looking back at their last five matches, they have one loss and eight points.

As previously stated, they are currently competing for a Europa League qualifying spot, which would give them 4 points less if the significant goal differential were taken into account, putting a damper on them finishing in fifth place. They currently sit in 7th place with 30 points.

Team News

FC Arouca has a slew of injuries in their camp, which include Vitinho, Tiago Esgaio, Weverson, Rhode, Sema Velazquez and Rafa Mujica, who will be unavailable for selection ahead of this match.

Probable Starting XI

Formation:.4-2-3-1

Arruabarrena; Milovanov, Basso, Galovic, Correia; Soro, Simao; Sylla, Ruiz, Antony; Dabbagh

Match Facts

• Braga has won three consecutive Primeira Liga home games.
• FC Arouca has yet to defeat Braga in their last five meetings.
• The average number of goals scored in a match between Braga and FC Arouca is 4.4.
• When playing at home, Braga averages 1.75 goals per game, while FC Arouca averages 1.32 goals per game when playing away.

Head-To-Head

Braga has won 10 of the last 15 meetings, FC Arouca has won one, and there have been four draws with a goal difference of 33-7 in favor of Braga.

Expert Betting Tips

FC Arouca were undoubtedly on a roll at the start of the season, putting forth an impressive performance after enduring a previous lackluster season, but they have since distanced themselves from that impressive performance, slowly plunging themselves into inconsistency, which is something they do not want to find themselves embroiled in at the moment.

Braga, on the other hand, will surely enter this match with nothing to worry about, as they have maintained an impressive record over FC Arouca, which has seen them go on a 10-match unbeaten run. They will be hoping to extend their winning streak in the Primeira Liga to 3 games at the expense of their opponents poor form.

With only two wins in their last nine away matches, FC Arouca will have a difficult time securing all three points on the road against a side that has only lost twice in their last nine home matches, and as such, expect Braga to win convincingly with a handicap of -1.

• Handicap 1 -1 for 1.66
• Goals - Over 2.5 for 1.66
• Corners - Over 10 for 2.37