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

By Ben Gray Published: March 15, 2022 2:39 pm

AS Monaco

1

-

1

SC Braga

Match ended

Show players

Disasi, Axel

90'

Maripan, Guillermo

86'

Vanderson
Aguilar, Ruben

84'

76'

Ruiz, Abel
Carvalho, Vu00edtor

76'

Al Musrati
Medeiros, Iuri

69'

Horta, Andre
Lucas Mineiro

Henrique, Caio
Jakobs, Ismail

63'

62'

Gomes, Rodrigo
Moura, Francisco

Golovin, Aleksandr

62'

Jean Lucas
Maripan, Guillermo

52'

Diop, Sofiane
Golovin, Aleksandr

52'

Martins, Gelson
Boadu, Myron

52'

Jean Lucas

40'

19'

Ruiz, Abel

Starting lineup

Nubel, Alexander16

Vanderson2

Badiashile, Benoit5

Disasi, Axel6

Henrique, Caio12

Tchouameni, Aurelien8

Martins, Gelson7

Jean Lucas11

Ben Yedder, Wissam10

Volland, Kevin31

Diop, Sofiane37

1Magalhaes, Matheus

70Fabiano

3Tormena, Vitor

15Oliveira, Paulo

5Carmo, David

8Al Musrati

17Horta, Ricardo

88Castro, Andre

9Ruiz, Abel

10Horta, Andre

57Gomes, Rodrigo

Substitutes

Mannone, Vito30

Maripan, Guillermo3

Matsima, Chrislain34

Aguilar, Ruben26

Sidibe, Djibril19

Jakobs, Ismail14

Okou, Yllan38

Matazo, Eliot36

Fofana, Youssouf22

Golovin, Aleksandr17

Boadu, Myron9

Akliouche, Maghnes33

12Sa, Tiago

2Couto, Yan

4Leite, Diogo

86Rodrigues, Bruno

76Pinto, Dinis

74Moura, Francisco

50Buta, Leonardo

79Berna

45Medeiros, Iuri

25Lucas Mineiro

96Fale, Miguel Maria Mariano

99Carvalho, Vítor

Recommended bets

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.

Monaco to draw 1-1 with Braga- 7/1!

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Match preview

MONACO, MONACO – NOVEMBER 25: Benoît Badiashile of Monaco (C) in action during the UEFA Europa League group B match between AS Monaco and Real Sociedad at Stade Louis II on November 25, 2021 in Monaco, Monaco. (Photo by Marcio Machado/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images)

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

Benoit Badiashile of Monaco during the UEFA Champions League match between Atletico Madrid and AS Monaco at Wanda Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid, Spain on November 28, 2018 (Photo by Jose Breton/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

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

BRAGA, PORTUGAL – MARCH 10: A general view of the Estadio Municipal de Braga on March 10, 2011 in Braga, Portugal. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

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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