Braga vs Real Madrid match facts
Saturday, October 14, 2023
Article summary
Previous meetings, form guides, links and trivia ahead of the UEFA Champions League group stage Matchday 3 fixture.
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Real Madrid are out to cement their position at the top of UEFA Champions League Group C away to Braga, although the Portuguese side will be in buoyant mood after a remarkable Matchday 2 comeback.
While Madrid have beaten debutants Union Berlin 1-0 at home and Italian champions Napoli 3-2 away – Jude Bellingham scoring in both games – Braga looked set to follow their 2-1 Matchday 1 loss against Napoli with a second defeat as they fell 2-0 behind in Berlin. However, goals from Sikou Niakaté and Bruma either side of half-time brought them level, leaving substitute André Castro to snatch a remarkable win four minutes into added time.
This is the sides' first meeting, and only Braga's fourth match against Spanish opponents.
Form guide
Braga
Record vs Spanish clubs: W2 D0 L1 F5 A5
Home record vs Spanish clubs: W1 D0 L0
Braga have played only three previous matches against Spanish sides – all against Sevilla.
They went down 2-0 in Spain in the 2006/07 UEFA Cup group stage against the then holders, but booked their first Champions League group stage appearance at the expense of the Spanish team in 2010/11. A Matheus goal earned a 1-0 win in Portugal – Braga's sole home game against Spanish visitors – before a 4-3 victory in Spain in which Matheus opened the scoring before a second-half Lima hat-trick sealed Braga's progress.
Third in the Portuguese Liga in 2022/23, nine points behind champions Benfica and seven adrift of Porto, Braga are in the Champions League for the third time and a first in 11 seasons.
Both those previous campaigns ended in the group stage, Braga finishing third in their section in 2010/11 and going on to reach the Europa League final, losing an all-Portuguese decider 1-0 to Porto in Dublin.
Braga were fourth in their 2012/13 section having lost five of their six games, winning only one – 2-0 away at Galatasaray on Matchday 2.
The Arsenalistas began 2022/23 in the Europa League group stage, finishing third in their section behind Union Saint-Gilloise and Union Berlin, moving into the Europa Conference League where they were well beaten by eventual runners-up Fiorentina in the knockout play-offs (0-4 h, 2-3 a).
Braga entered this season's Champions League in the third qualifying round, where they were comfortable winners against Bačka Topola of Serbia (3-0 h, 4-1 a), Bruma, Pizzi and Álvaro Djaló all scoring in both legs.
Greek side Panathinaikos were then beaten home (2-1) and away (1-0) in the play-offs, Djaló finding the net in Portugal and Bruma scoring in Greece.
The Portuguese side were on a seven-match unbeaten home run (W6 D1) before losing 2-1 to Union SG on Matchday 3 of last season's Europa League group stage; their subsequent record is W3 L3.
Real Madrid
Record vs Portuguese clubs: W14 D2 L5 F41 A27
Away record vs Portuguese clubs: W5 D1 L4
This is Madrid's first game against Portuguese opponents since the 2016/17 group stage, when they beat Sporting CP 2-1 home and away. They needed late goals on each occasion, however, Cristiano Ronaldo (89) and Álvaro Morata (90+4) scoring in Spain before Karim Benzema's 87th-minute winner in Portugal.
The latter result made it three successive wins away to Portuguese Liga sides and four games unbeaten since a 2-1 loss at Porto in the 1999/2000 Champions League first group stage.
That is also Madrid's last defeat by Portuguese opponents, home and away; their record since is W6 D2.
This is Madrid's 28th Champions League group stage campaign, a competition record they share with Barcelona. They last missed out in 1996/97.
Madrid have qualified for the knockout rounds in all 27 of their previous campaigns.
Having claimed the club's 14th European Cup – and eighth Champions League, also a competition record – in 2021/22, Carlo Ancelotti's side then finished first in their Champions League section last season, winning four of their six games (D1 L1) before beating Liverpool in the round of 16 (5-2 a, 1-0 h). That set up a second successive quarter-final against Chelsea, Madrid winning 2-0 home and away, before a repeat of their 2021/22 semi-final against Manchester City, which this time went in the English side's favour (1-1 h, 0-4 a).
That 4-0 loss in Manchester equalled Madrid's biggest European defeat.
Madrid have lost eight of their last 24 Champions League away games, winning eight. They have been beaten in four of the last ten.
The Merengues ceded the Spanish title to Barcelona, finishing ten points behind their great rivals in the Liga standings.
Links and trivia
Ancelotti was in charge of the AC Milan side that beat Braga in the 2008/09 UEFA Cup group stage, Ronaldinho scoring the only goal at San Siro.
In total, the Italian coach has played Portuguese sides nine times in UEFA club competitions, winning six and losing just once.
Has played in Portugal:
Éder Militão (Porto 2018/19)
Militão faced Braga three times with Porto in 2018/19 (W2 D1). Tiago Sá and Ricardo Horta played in that Braga team.
Have played in Spain:
Víctor Gómez (Espanyol 2015–23, 2021/22; Mirandés 2020/21 loan, Málaga 2021/22 loan)
Paulo Oliveira (Eibar 2017–21)
Adrián Marín (Villarreal 2009–18, Leganés 2016/17 loan, Alavés 2018–21), Granada 2021–22)
Pizzi (Atlético 2011–13, Deportivo La Coruña 2012/13 loan, Espanyol 2013/14 loan)
André Castro (Sporting Gijón 2011–12)
Bruma (Real Sociedad 2015/16 loan)
Abel Ruiz (Barcelona 2012–20)
Rony Lopes (Sevilla 2019–23)
Ricardo Horta (Málaga 2014–16)
Bruma's first La Liga goal came in Real Sociedad's 3-1 loss at Real Madrid on 30 December.
Born in Albacete in Spain, Braga's Uruguayan international midfielder Rodrigo Zalazar played in the youth teams at Albacete Balompié (2007–14), San Félix (2016/17) and Málaga (2014–16, 2017–19) before moving to German side Eintracht Frankfurt's Under-19 side. It was at the latter club that he first experienced senior football, although he only played for the B team.
Born in Madrid, Álvaro Djaló joined the youth ranks of Bilbao side Begoña in 2015, moving to Braga two years later.
Have played together:
Bruma & Arda Güler (Fenerbahçe 2022/23)
Adrián Marín & Joselu (Alavés 2019–21)
Aurélien Tchouaméni's Monaco were paired with Braga in the 2021/22 UEFA Europa League 2021/22 round of 16. Braga prevailed 2-0 in the first leg in Portugal thanks to a goal from Ruiz and managed to secure a place in the next round thanks to a 1-1 draw in the second leg with another goal from the Spanish forward.
International team-mates:
Rodrigo Zalazar & Federico Valverde (Uruguay)
Abel Ruiz & Kepa Arrizabalaga, Dani Carvajal, Nacho, Fran García, Lucas Vázquez, Dani Ceballos, Joselu (Spain)
Luka Modrić has faced Portugal four times for Croatia and never won (D3 L1).
Nacho scored in Spain's 3-3 draw against João Moutinho's Portugal in the 2018 FIFA World Cup group stage. Vázquez came on as a substitute for Spain.
Bruma scored past Arrizabalaga in a 3-3 draw between Portugal and Spain in the 2012 UEFA European Under-19 Championship group stage. He repeated the feat five years later, this time in the Under-21 UEFA European Championship group stage, although Spain ran out 3-1 winners.
Latest news
Braga
The 3-2 win at Union Berlin on Matchday 2 was the first time a Portuguese team has recovered from a two-goal deficit to win in the UEFA Champions League era.
Runners-up in last season's Portuguese Cup, Braga kicked off this season's campaign with a 2-0 win at fourth division Rebordosa on Thursday, Rony Lopes and substitute Álvaro Djaló scoring in either half.
Braga have won their last five matches in all competitions, 17-year-old Roger Fernandes coming off the bench to supply assists for Simon Banza (90+1) and Abel Ruiz (90+5) in a 2-1 comeback victory at home to Rio Ave on 7 October.
Having suffered a second successive defeat against Napoli on Matchday 1, Braga got back on track with a 4-1 home win against Boavista on 24 September. It was the first of their five consecutive wins, their longest winning run of the season.
Banza, who was an unused substitute on Thursday, has five goals in his last seven games in all competitions. The Congolese striker has six goals in all competitions this season, level with Bruma and one behind top scorer Álvaro Djaló.
Álvaro Djaló now has three league goals this season, one more than in the whole of 2022/23.
Ricardo Horta missed the game against Rio Ave due to muscle problems. Called up for Portugal's UEFA EURO 2024 qualifiers, he was forced to withdraw but returned to action as a late substitute on Thursday.
Victor Gómez suffered a thigh injury and was replaced five minutes into Braga's 4-2 victory at Estrela da Amadora on 28 September and has not played since.
Matheus Magalhães made his 300th Braga appearance in a 1-1 home draw against Sporting CP on 3 September, surpassing Quim as the goalkeeper with the most appearances for the club. The match against Boavista was his 200th league game for the club in the league.
Braga will play Casa Pia and Nacional in the Portuguese League Cup group stage.
Real Madrid
Real Madrid's four-game winning run in all competitions was ended by a 1-1 Liga draw at Sevilla on Saturday.
A David Alaba own goal, the first of his career, had put Madrid behind in Seville; Dani Carvajal earned a point with his first Liga goal since 28 August 2021.
Carlo Ancelotti's side have won ten of their 12 games in all competitions this season, scoring 25 goals and conceding nine.
Their only defeat of the campaign was a 3-1 La Liga loss in the derby against Atlético de Madrid on 24 September.
After beating Napoli on Matchday 2, Ancelotti's side went on to beat Osasuna 4-0 at home in La Liga courtesy of two goals from Jude Bellingham and one each from Vinícius Júnior and Joselu.
Bellingham's double against Osasuna made it ten goals in 11 games in all competitions since his arrival at Real Madrid this summer, with eight in La Liga and two in the Champions League.
Joselu has scored five goals in ten La Liga games this season.
Bellingham won a penalty for England's first goal and then set up the second in the 3-1 win against Italy at Wembley on 17 October that secured his side's place at UEFA EURO 2024.
Fran García made his Spain debut as a half-time substitute in the 2-0 UEFA EURO 2024 qualifying win at home to Scotland on 12 October. Three days later he played 90 minutes of the 1-0 win over Norway that clinched qualification.
Carvajal and Joselu also appeared in both matches for Spain.
Alaba picked up a muscle injury in a 2-0 Liga win against Las Palmas on 27 September, returning to the starting line-up on Saturday.
The injury kept the Austria captain out of this month's European Qualifiers, his side booking their place at UEFA EURO 2024 with a 1-0 win against Azerbaijan on 16 October.
On 13 October Aurélien Tchouaméni played 90 minutes as France won 2-1 against the Netherlands to reach UEFA EURO 2024.
Dani Ceballos missed Saturday's game with a muscle injury in his right leg.
Antonio Rüdiger played the full match in Julian Nagelsmann's first match as Germany coach, a 3-1 friendly win over the United States in Connecticut on 14 October. Three days later, the centre-back opened the scoring in a 2-2 friendly draw with Mexico in Philadelphia.
Éder Militão suffered a cruciate ligament tear in his left knee in a 2-0 win at Athletic Club on the opening weekend of the season on 12 August and is expected to be out for several months.
Thibaut Courtois ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during training in early August.
Summer signing Arda Güler suffered a meniscus injury during pre-season and then picked up a muscle problem on 25 September. He is still to make his debut.
The 3-1 win at Almería on 19 August made Ancelotti the coach to have taken charge of the third most league games in Real Madrid's history (154). He overtook Vicente del Bosque (153), and is now behind only Zinédine Zidane (183) and Miguel Muñoz (424).
A 2-1 win at home to Real Sociedad on 17 September took Ancelotti above Zidane to move into second place on the all-time list of most Real Madrid wins as a coach, having overseen 173 victories. The Italian, now on 178 wins, is behind only Miguel Muñoz (357 wins).
Luka Modrić was seventh in the vote for UEFA Player of the Year 2022/23.
Modrić, Vinícius Júnior and Bellingham are among the 30 nominees for the Ballon d'Or, which will be awarded on 30 October in Paris.