Monaco vs Braga betting tips: Europa League preview, predictions and odds

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Monaco have won just two of four home games against Portuguese clubs, losing their last to Porto 3-0 five years ago. Braga though have never scored a goal in three visits to France. However, Braga have won all 11 European ties when winning the first leg at home.

Both teams to score is 4/5.

Draw and both teams to score is 9/2.

Ricardo Horta has scored 17 goals in his last 39 Europa League appearances for Braga. He is 15/2 to break the deadlock and 9/4 to add to this tally.

Match preview

As these two sides reconvene in the Principality, it's Braga who firmly have the upper hand.

A week ago in Northern Portugal, it took less than three minutes for the hosts to find the breakthrough.

A corner was not cleared by Monaco with Rodrigo Gomes' long-range shot eventually finding it's way to Abel Ruiz who cooly finished.

Having scored early, the hosts then netted late when, in the final minute of normal time, Fabiano's inch-perfect cross was headed home by Vitinha.

So, 2-0 up, the Portuguese side make the journey to the French Riviera in the catbird seat, looking to book their place in the quarter-finals.

Braga's best-ever European run came 11 years ago when they reached the Europa League Final, losing 1-0 to local-rivals Porto in Dublin.

However, before this season, they'd lost their last four knockout stages ties, going out to Shakhtar Donetsk, Olympique Marseille, Rangers and Roma.

This year, Carlos Carvalhal's side finished second in Group F, below Crvena zvezda but above Ludogorets Razgrad and FC Midtjylland.

So, the Archbishops faced FC Sheriff Tiraspol in the first knockout round and, despite losing 2-0 in Transnistria, they then won by the same scoreline at home.

This set up a nerve-shredding penalty shootout at Estádio Municipal de Braga that the hosts won 3-2 with Francisco Moura converting the crucial spot-kick.

So now, will os Arcebispos reach their first quarter-final in six seasons?

AS Monaco meanwhile were Champions League runners-up in 2004 before reaching the semis of that competition in 2017.

However, the latter was followed by back-to-back calamitous group stage exits in which les Monégasques didn't win a single game.

This season, Monaco were beaten in the Champions League play-offs but then topped their Europa League group, above Real Sociedad, PSV and Sturm Graz.

However, if they're to win a UEFA Cup knockout game for the first time since 1997, Philippe Clement's side are going to need a famous comeback.

Will Braga's first leg advantage prove to be insurmountable at Stade Louis II?

Monaco team news

Philippe Clement rotated his XI for Sunday's Ligue 1 fixture with RC Strasbourg Alsace but this saw Monaco go down 1-0.

So, all the big-hitters will be back in here as they look to salvage their European season.

22 year old Aurélien Tchouaméni is their superstar in midfield; he's expected to make a big-money move this summer.

In attack, fellow French international Wissam Ben Yedder will be their main goal threat, looking to add to his 63 goals for the club.

Right-back Djibril Sidibé is the only key player from the 2017 side who reached the Champions League semis and won Ligue 1 still at Monaco.

Braga team news

The visitors are without left-back Nuno Sequeira and midfielder Jean-Baptiste Gorby due to injury.

Carlos Carvalhal made numerous changes on Sunday but it backfired because Braga lost 1-0 at home to Gil Vicente.

Abel Ruiz, who opened the scoring a week ago, as well as André Horta and Fabiano Silva are amongst those who will return to the side.

Ricardo Horta has scored 16 goals in his last 30 Europa League appearances and will be looking to add to that tally here.

Ligue 1 table:

Primeira Liga table:

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