Austria Vienna vs Braga: Prediction, Betting Tips and Match Preview

For seven consecutive seasons, Braga have reached the autumn phase of European competitions, and they stand a strong chance of extending that streak this year. All they need to do is prevent Austria Vienna from overturning a two-goal deficit from the first leg – a task that looks daunting given that the Austrian side have failed to beat any Portuguese club in their last 11 meetings.

Tactical Analysis: Austria Vienna

The start of the domestic season has been anything but promising for the multiple-time Austrian champions. After three rounds of the Bundesliga, Austria Vienna have collected just three points and sit in the lower half of the table. Until recently, their only source of joy came in the Conference League, where they dispatched Liepaja (2-0 and 3-1) and Beitar Jerusalem (2-1 and 1-2, winning on penalties). However, their first real test against a top-tier opponent exposed their limitations. In the first leg, Braga pinned Stefan Helm’s men inside their own half, dismantled their passing game, and forced countless turnovers.

The only significant injury for the Viennese is centre-back Philipp Wiesinger, but he has been sidelined for a while. The bigger issue is that the overall quality of the squad falls short even of the top teams in their own league, let alone a side that reached the Europa League semi-finals last season. Austria’s most promising players are young central midfielders Philipp Maibach and Vasilije Marković, yet even they could not establish control in the middle of the park at the Estádio Municipal de Braga.

Tactical Analysis: Braga

Braga kicked off their domestic campaign with a 2-2 draw against modest Moreirense. But under Carlos Vicente, the “arsenalistas” showed last season that their priority lies in performing well on the European stage. After reaching the Europa League semi-finals, they are now targeting the third-tier continental competition. In the Conference League qualifiers, Braga have already eliminated Železničar (1-0 and 4-0) and Dinamo Minsk (1-0 and 0-0). They had no trouble in the first leg against Austria Vienna either (2-0), despite a gastrointestinal illness that affected most of the squad – the Primeira Liga match against Gil Vicente beforehand was even postponed.

Even the absence of long-time leader Ricardo Horta due to injury did not hinder Braga. According to Portuguese media, the captain is out for two to three weeks with a muscle problem and will miss the return leg. The absence of centre-backs Niakaté and Arrey-Mbi has also not disrupted their progress; the defensive lineup has been rotated from game to game, but Braga have yet to concede a single goal in this competition.

Predicted Lineups

Austria Vienna (3-4-2-1): Sahin-Radlinger – Handl, Bukhari, Feddersen – Nnodim, Maibach, Marković, Šablas – Fischer, Hettwer – Boateng Unavailable: Wiesinger, Botić, Sarkaria (all injured) Head coach: Stefan Helm

Braga (4-3-3): Bernardo – Băluță, Lagerbielke, Barcia – Gomes, Moutinho, Tiknaz, Travassos – Huseinbašić, Silva – Victor Unavailable: Niakaté, Arrey-Mbi, R. Horta (all injured) Head coach: Carlos Vicente

Prediction and Bet

In the first meeting, Austria Vienna had no answer to Braga’s pressing and total dominance of possession. There is little reason to believe the situation will improve a week later. Now the “violets” have no incentive to sit back; in front of their own fans, they will try to play more boldly. But that will only make Braga’s attacks more dangerous – the semi-finalists from last season are masters at exploiting open spaces. Braga have won four of their previous five qualifying matches, and against an Austrian side that is far from the strongest in its own league, we back another victory for the Portuguese side at odds of 2.01.

Total bet: Solid defending has become a hallmark of Braga under Carlos Vicente, and Austria’s mediocre attackers are unlikely to crack the visitors’ defensive structure. In the first leg, Braga played more openly than the scoreline advantage now allows, yet Stefan Helm’s men still created very little – just 0.4 xG. Given that Braga have not conceded a single goal in this Conference League campaign, we again choose both teams to score – no at odds of 1.94.