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Recommended bets
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Match preview
The tie of the round in the Europa Conference League is undisputedly this one, kicking off with this first leg in Northern Portugal.
Braga have decent pedigree in Europe, reaching the Europa League Final in 2011 and the quarter-finals of the same tournament just last season.
This time round, the Archbishops finished third in their Europa League group, below Royale Union Saint-Gilloise and Union Berlin, but above Malmö.
Artur Jorge’s team did accumulate a respectable ten points from that campaign, but that wasn’t enough to see them remain in the second-tier competition.
Domestically too, Braga are currently third in the Primeira Liga and are through to the Taça de Portugal semi-finals, having ousted Benfica on penalties.
In short, Os Arsenalistas are one of the strongest teams of the 24 remaining, but will have to come through a tough examination to get through.
This season, I Viola are back in UEFA competition for the first time since 2016/17, losing just one of eight fixtures to date.
Vincenzo Italiano’s team ended the group phase with four successive wins, but were pipped to top spot by İstanbul Başakşehir on head-to-head.
In Serie A meanwhile, Fiorentina are all the way down in 14th, having taken just a solitary point from their last five outings.
So, Braga do come into this tie as favourites, seeking to establish a healthy first leg lead at Estádio Municipal de Braga.
Braga team news
Ricardo Horta scored for Portugal at the World Cup in November; he’s made 306 appearances for Braga, scoring 104 goals, 19 of which have been in Europe.
Their other key players are midfielder Uroš Račić, veteran winger Pizzi and young striker Abel Ruiz.
Fiorentina team news
Luka Jović is yet to rediscover his Frankfurt form, having scored just eight times this season, four of which were in the group phase.
Given that, Christian Kouamé could continue to lead the line.
Antonín Barák is injured, but their midfield will feature Moroccan World Cup star Sofyan Amrabat, alongside veteran Giacomo Bonaventura.
Braga vs Fiorentina: Head to head statistics
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