Braga v Sion background
Friday, February 19, 2016
Article summary
Braga won all three of their home games in the group stage, a statistic that does not bode well for Sion as they bid to overturn a 2-1 deficit and reach the UEFA Europa League round of 16.
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SC Braga will aim to continue their perfect home record in this season's UEFA Europa League when they host FC Sion leading 2-1 after the first leg of their round of 32 tie.
Previous meetings
• The sides met for the first time in UEFA competition in the first leg, when Rafa Silva's 61st-minute goal earned Braga victory. Nikola Stoiljković put the Arsenalistas ahead, with Moussa Konaté levelling for Sion early in the second half. Braga's Nikola Vukčević was sent off late on.
• Braga are unbeaten in four games against Swiss sides (W2 D2 L0), including eliminating BSC Young Boys in the 2011/12 UEFA Europa League play-offs.
• Sion lost 6-2 on aggregate to FC Porto in the 1992/93 European Champion Clubs' Cup second round in their only previous tie against Portuguese opposition.
Form guide
• Braga have won all three of their European home matches this season – all by a one-goal margin. Sion's group stage away record was W1 D1 L1.
• Losing finalists in 2011 – when they transferred over after the UEFA Champions League group stage – Braga have now made it to the round of 32 from all five of their UEFA Cup and UEFA Europa League group stage campaigns.
• Sion are playing in the spring phase of a UEFA competition for the first time since losing to 1. FC Lokomotive Leipzig in the 1986/87 European Cup Winners' Cup quarter-finals.
Trivia and links
• The journey from Sion to Braga is just short of 1,400km.
The coaches
• Appointed to the Braga hot seat last summer, former defender Paulo Fonseca, 42, had a low-key playing career. Having made his name in the second division as boss of CD Aves, Fonseca twice coached FC Paços de Ferreira in the top flight either side of a stint at FC Porto, where he was once on the books as a player.
• A UEFA Cup finalist with FC Girondins de Bordeaux in 1996, French striker Didier Tholot ended his playing career as player-coach at Sion and took charge of the club for a third time in 2014. He led Sion to Swiss Cup success in 2009 during his second spell and lifted that trophy again last term.
Penalty shoot-outs
• Braga won their only previous UEFA penalty shoot-out:
W 5-4 A v Udinese Calcio (2012/13 UEFA Champions League play-offs)
• Sion have lost both of their UEFA penalty shoot-outs:
L 5-4 H v Malmö FF (1974/75 European Cup Winners' Cup first round)
L 5-3 A v Feyenoord (1991/92 European Cup Winners' Cup second round)
