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Braga v Nottingham Forest – Line-ups, stats and preview

Braga take on Nottingham Forest on Thursday in the Europa League. Read our in-depth preview here

Written by Mitch Fretton
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Braga v Nottingham Forest – Line-ups, stats and preview

Match Preview for Braga v Nottingham Forest

Braga and Nottingham Forest will both be aiming to strengthen their automatic last-16 qualification hopes in the Europa League when they meet at Estadio Municipal de Braga on Thursday night.

The two sides have never previously faced each other in a competitive fixture, although Forest did record a 3-0 friendly win over the Portuguese outfit in July 2016.

Nottingham Forest arrive in Portugal having won just one of their last seven matches across all competitions, but Sean Dyche will have taken encouragement from the 0-0 draw with Premier League leaders Arsenal at the weekend.

The Tricky Trees have collected 11 points from their six League Phase matches so far, winning three, drawing two and losing one, with back-to-back victories over Malmo and FC Utrecht before the winter break significantly boosting their knockout prospects.

Forest currently occupy 11th place in the 36-team standings, just two points adrift of the automatic qualification positions, meaning their remaining fixtures against Braga and Ferencvaros carry major significance.

Braga, meanwhile, endured a difficult start to 2026 after successive cup exits at the hands of Vitoria Guimaraes and third-tier AD Fafe, both by a 2-1 scoreline.

In Europe, Braga have been far more convincing, winning four of their six League Phase matches to sit seventh in the standings and firmly inside the automatic last-16 qualification places.

Team news for Braga v Nottingham Forest

Braga will be without Amine El Ouazzani and Sandro Vidigal, who are both sidelined through injury, while January signing Samy Merheg is ineligible until the knockout rounds.

Top scorer Rodrigo Zalazar will also miss out as he serves the second match of a continental suspension, opening the door for Gabri Martinez to feature in the final third alongside Pau Victor and Ricardo Horta.

Veteran midfielder Joao Moutinho is expected to start in central midfield alongside Florian Grillitsch, while the hosts’ defensive shape may depend on whether Vicens opts for a back three or four.

Nottingham Forest remain without Chris Wood and John Victor due to knee injuries, while Ola Aina, Omari Hutchinson, Taiwo Awoniyi, Angus Gunn and Jair Cunha are all unavailable after being omitted from the Europa League squad.

Nicolo Savona is set to deputise at right-back, while Douglas Luiz is pushing for a recall in midfield alongside Elliot Anderson.

Morgan Gibbs-White is expected to operate in an advanced role, with Igor Jesus leading the line after scoring four Europa League goals this season.

Expected line-ups for Braga v Nottingham Forest

Braga: Hornicek; Lagerbielke, Carvalho, Niakate; Dorgeles, Grillitsch, Moutinho, Lelo; Martinez, Victor, Horta

Nottingham Forest: Sels; Savona, Milenkovic, Murillo, Williams; Anderson, Luiz; Ndoye, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Jesus

How to watch Braga v Nottingham Forest: TV channel, online stream

Braga v Nottingham Forest will be played on Thursday night, with kick-off scheduled for 8pm (UK time).

The match will be shown live in the UK on TNT Sports, with coverage available on TNT Sports 2.

Live streaming will be accessible via discovery+ on supported devices.

The stats for Braga v Nottingham Forest

  • Braga have won four of their six Europa League League Phase matches
  • Nottingham Forest sit two points outside the automatic qualification places
  • Forest have already beaten Portuguese opposition in this season’s Europa League
  • Braga have won just six of their 20 competitive matches against English teams
  • This is the first competitive meeting between Braga and Nottingham Forest

Prediction

Braga

1 – 1

Nottingham Forest

Both sides remain in the hunt for automatic qualification and neither can afford a damaging defeat at this stage of the League Phase.

While Forest may have greater urgency, Braga’s home advantage and European consistency should allow them to frustrate the visitors and secure a share of the spoils.

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