Current form: Benfica vs Sporting Braga
Benfica earned a 1-0 result midweek against Montalegre in the Taca de Portugal, and it was a satisfying result considering that Rui Vitoria opted to heavily rotate his squad for that fixture. Although his team failed to qualify for the round of 16 in the Champions League, they still ended their group stage on a decent note by beating bottom-ranked AEK Athens and thus will be participating in the Europa League next term.
Meanwhile, Braga comes into this game after also securing a hard-fought 1-0 win over Vitoria Setubal in the Taca de Portugal. The visitors are on a five game winning streak across all competitions, with their last loss being a 1-0 reversal against Porto on November 10th. However, Braga really had to work hard for their recent win against Vitoria Setubal in a game that went to extra time, and fatigue could play a negative role for the visitors given that they opted to field a strong starting XI.
Both teams will also have an eye on the top two sides, as a win for either Benfica or Sporting Braga could lift them into second place ahead of Sporting CP, while league leaders Porto would also be within touching distance as the league prepares to go on hiatus for the Christmas break.
Current position: Benfica vs Sporting Braga
Benfica sit in fourth spot, while Braga find themselves in third ahead of Saturday's contest. Interestingly, the top two sides in the table - Porto and Sporting CP - are not too far ahead, meaning that this game could really shake things up in the league standings.
Here's how the top four compare ahead of the match:
| Pos. | Team | MP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | P | Form | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sporting CP | 29 | 25 | 2 | 2 | 84 | 27 | +57 | 77 | WWWWW | |
| 2 | Benfica | 29 | 22 | 4 | 3 | 65 | 23 | +42 | 70 | WLWWW | |
| 3 | Porto | 29 | 18 | 5 | 6 | 53 | 23 | +30 | 59 | DLLWW | |
| 4 | Sporting Braga | 29 | 18 | 5 | 6 | 61 | 40 | +21 | 59 | WLWWD | |
| 5 | Vitória Guimarães | 29 | 17 | 6 | 6 | 45 | 29 | +16 | 57 | DWWWW | |
| 6 | Arouca | 30 | 13 | 5 | 12 | 51 | 40 | +11 | 44 | DWWWL | |
| 7 | Moreirense | 29 | 12 | 7 | 10 | 30 | 33 | -3 | 43 | LDLWL | |
| 8 | Famalicão | 29 | 8 | 11 | 10 | 31 | 36 | -5 | 35 | LDWWD | |
| 9 | Casa Pia | 29 | 8 | 8 | 13 | 29 | 41 | -12 | 32 | DDWLL | |
| 10 | Farense | 29 | 8 | 7 | 14 | 38 | 41 | -3 | 31 | DWLDL | |
| 11 | Rio Ave | 30 | 5 | 16 | 9 | 32 | 38 | -6 | 31 | DDWDD | |
| 12 | Boavista | 29 | 7 | 8 | 14 | 34 | 55 | -21 | 29 | LLDLW | |
| 13 | Estoril | 29 | 8 | 5 | 16 | 43 | 50 | -7 | 29 | LDWWL | |
| 14 | Gil Vicente | 29 | 7 | 7 | 15 | 36 | 48 | -12 | 28 | LLLLD | |
| 15 | Estrela | 29 | 6 | 10 | 13 | 31 | 45 | -14 | 28 | DDLDW | |
| 16 | Portimonense | 29 | 7 | 6 | 16 | 32 | 62 | -30 | 27 | DWLLL | |
| 17 | Chaves | 29 | 5 | 7 | 17 | 28 | 60 | -32 | 22 | WLLLD | |
| 18 | Vizela | 29 | 4 | 9 | 16 | 28 | 60 | -32 | 21 | LLLLW |
Team news: Benfica vs Sporting Braga
Benfica: Ebuehi, Rafa, Salvio (injured)
Sporting Braga: Raúl Silva (suspended); Bruno Xadas, Matheus (injured)
Match Facts and Stats: Benfica vs Sporting Braga
- Benfica are undefeated in 35 of their last 38 home matches in the Primeira Liga
- Braga have kept a clean sheet in their last three league games...
- ...but so have Benfica (also in their last three league games)
- Benfica have won 9 of their last 10 matches against Braga in all competitions
TV Channels and Broadcasts
In the USA, watch Benfica vs Sporting Braga on GOLTV and GolTV Espanol.
In Portugal, tune in to Antena 1 - RTP and Benfica TV for Benfica vs Sporting Braga.
FreeSports TV UK will show Benfica vs Sporting Braga in the UK.
Live elsewhere? Here are your options to catch Benfica vs Sporting Braga:
Match details, result and original broadcast info
Benfica 6 - 2 Sporting Braga
December 23, 2018 12:30pmEstádio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica (da Luz) (Lisboa)This match has ended. Below are the original Live broadcast details for this match.
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
