SC Braga vs SL Benfica: Preview, Odds, Form Guide and Players to Watch (May 17)

The Portuguese Primeira Liga will be decided on the final day of the season with SL Benfica and Sporting CP both entering jornada 34 level on 79 points. Sporting will face Vitória SC at the Estádio José Alvalade on Saturday. Meanwhile, SC Braga stand in the way of Benfica winning their second league title in three years and simultaneously preventing Sporting from becoming the first side to repeat as champions since the Eagles achieved the feat back in 2017. 

Benfica supporters at the Estádio Municipal de Braga (also known as “the quarry” due to its unique design) will have one eye on Sporting’s fixture when Saturday’s match kicks off. After an entertaining draw in last week’s highly anticipated Lisbon derby, Sporting hold a slight edge coming into the last round of games. Sporting sit atop the table due to their head-to-head record against Benfica, and will only need to match Benfica’s result to take home the trophy.  

It has been a long and gruelling campaign for a Braga side that started the season with high expectations. There have been plenty of positives to take from the season, but after 53 matches in four different competitions (including 14 games in Europe), os Arcebispos will once again conclude the season without any silverware. 

Preview

It has been a rollercoaster year for the Braguistas. Following an uninspiring start to the 2024-25 campaign, manager Carlos Carvalhal returned to the club to replace Daniel Sousa who was sacked after less than a month in the job. Carvalhal did well to bring some life back into the squad, and Braga were able to keep pace with the traditional “big three” until mid-April. 

It does not seem that long ago that Braga were in contention for a Champions League spot but a string of poor results over the last month has seen the club slide down to fourth in the standings. A 1-1 away draw to Famalicão on 25 April gifted Sporting and Benfica some breathing room at the top of the table. A 1-1 home draw against Santa Clara the following week allowed FC Porto to work their way back into the race for a top-three finish. A 2-1 defeat to Casa Pia last weekend capped off a disastrous run that saw the club take just two points from the last three league fixtures. 

After 33 rounds, Braga have accumulated 65 points. They sit in fourth position, three points behind Porto. The two clubs are even when looking at their head-to-head record, but due to Porto’s superior goal difference, it seems highly improbable that Braga can finish third. 

Braga’s attacking weapons

Braga have been in poor form but Benfica will be cautious going into this fixture. Despite selling highly-rated winger Bruma to the Eagles during the transfer window, Braga still possess a handful of dangerous attackers in their arsenal.

Portuguese international Ricardo Horta has been a central figure in Carvalhal’s lineup, leading the squad with 15 goals in all competitions. Amine El Ouazzani has had no problems adjusting to the Portuguese top flight since making the move from Guingamp in 2024. He has 11 goals and three assists to his name. Uruguayan midfielder Rodrigo Zalazar leads the team with nine assists and 19-year-old winger, Roger, who has recorded five goals and seven assists, will be another player to keep an eye on. 

Braga and Carvalhal have only themselves to blame for a disappointing finish to a season that began with so much promise. A victory on Saturday, however, would cap off a respectable campaign and see Braga finish with 68 points, matching last year’s points total.  

Benfica’s strong season

Benfica manager Bruno Lage has done a tremendous job of maintaining the pressure on Sporting. The Portuguese manager, now in his second spell in charge of the Lisbon giants, was brought in to replace Roger Schmidt in August and has met the exorbitant demands that were placed on him when he arrived. 

Overall, Benfica have had a strong season, even for their high standards. The Eagles won the Allianz Cup (Taça da Liga) in January for a record eighth time. Next week, Benfica will take on Sporting in the Portuguese Cup final. The club also had a solid run in Europe, going all the way to the round of 16 in the Champions League before a gut-wrenching elimination at the hands of Barcelona. 

Last week’s Lisbon derby could turn out to be the deciding factor for Benfica if they are unable to win the league this year. Benfica were exceptional until that point, taking 37 from a possible 39 points leading up to the game. Dropping points against their Lisbon rivals, though, could be crucial. 

Going into the match, Benfica knew that anything less than three points would give Sporting the upper hand. The Estádio da Luz was electric on the night, and everything seemed to be in place for a memorable night for the Benfiquistas. However, an early blow from Trincão saw the Eagles fall behind, and despite huffing and puffing, Lage’s men were only able to come away with a point. 

The derby result means that Sporting lead the standings based on their head-to-head record, which is used as the tie-breaker in Portugal. Both sides have 79 points from 33 matches, and goal difference will not be considered. If Sporting win their final match, the title is theirs. If they can match Benfica’s result, it will also be enough for Rui Borges to win his first Primeira Liga title. 

Expect Benfica to come out in an attacking formation on Saturday evening. Lage has plenty of options up front with three established strikers to turn to in Evángelos Pavlídis, Andrea Belotti and Arthur Cabral. Wingers Ángel Di María and Kerem Aktürkoğlu have combined for 31 goals and 21 assists. Turkish central midfielder Orkun Kökçü has also been a key contributor, chipping in with 11 goals and nine assists. 

Odds: 

Braga 5.60, Benfica 1.57, Draw 4.30

Over 2.5 total goals: 1.55, Under 1.5 goals: 2.02

*All odds provided from Betano.pt. Odds are subject to change prior to kick off.

Form Guide (All Competitions):

Braga:

Benfica:

Head-to-head Record:

The two clubs have played 161 times over six different competitions. Historically, Benfica have held the advantage in this fixture, winning 105 (65.22%) times and drawing 31 (19.25%) games. Brage have won 25 (15.53%) times.

In the Primeira Liga, the two teams have faced each other 136 times with Benfica winning 91 (66.91%) of those matches. Braga have won 17 (12.5%) games and there have been 28 (20.59%) draws.

In recent seasons, the fixture has seen some close battles but Benfica have come out on top. The Lisbon club have won six of the last seven matches and outscored Braga 13-5 over that period.  

The last time these two sides met in the league was at the Estádio da Luz earlier this season. Braga was able to upset the home side, emerging with a 2-1 victory over the Eagles in January.

Players to watch: 

Ricardo Horta is expected to lead Braga out as captain once again. The 30-year-old Portugues international has become a fan favorite with the local supporters after nine years of dedicated service. There has been plenty of interest from top European clubs for the talented midfielder, but Horta has chosen to stay put and helped Braga remain competitive in Portugal and European competitions for nearly a decade. 

This season, Horta has recorded 11 league goals and five assists. 

There are a handful of big-name players on Benfica’s squad but Pavlídis is the in-form man at the moment. The Greek forward has been phenomenal over the season, firmly establishing himself as Lage’s starting striker. Pavlídis has come up with vital goals when called upon and played a role in setting up the equaliser versus Sporting last week.

Pavlídis leads the Benfica squad with 28 goals in all competitions. 18 of those goals have come over his 33 league appearances.