Braga will be looking to end a three-match losing streak across all competitions when they welcome Gent to Minho on Thursday for matchday three of the UEFA Conference League main stage.

Carles Vicens’s side, who opened this season’s league phase with a defeat away to Copenhagen, currently sit second from bottom in the 36-team table, while the Belgian visitors occupy 13th place after narrowly beating Aarhus on matchday one.

Match preview

Braga find themselves in the Conference League despite finishing fourth in last season’s Primeira Liga campaign, having relinquished their Europa League spot to Taca de Portugal winners Torreense.

While the Archbishops navigated their way to the main stage of Europe’s third-tier club competition unbeaten across six matches in three qualifying rounds without conceding a goal, their opening league-phase fixture was a stark contrast to those resilient performances.

Vicens’s side suffered a 3-0 defeat away to Copenhagen on matchday one, with all three goals coming after the interval, and that setback formed part of a three-match losing streak and a four-game winless run across all competitions.

Braga head into Thursday’s encounter on the back of a 2-1 defeat to Gil Vicente in their rescheduled league fixture on Monday, despite taking the lead through Pau Victor, with the result leaving the Archbishops ninth in the Primeira Liga table.

Much of the Arsenalists’ struggles have come in the final third, where they have managed just four goals across their last six matches, and they are now at risk of losing their opening two fixtures of a continental league phase for the first time since 2010.

However, the hosts can draw encouragement from their impressive European home record, having won 13 of their last 15 matches on their own turf (D1, L1) while keeping 11 clean sheets in that run, and will hope those numbers count for something on Thursday.

Gent, meanwhile, head into this encounter looking to bounce back from their first defeat of the season, having suffered a penalty-shootout loss to third-tier Union Rochefortoise at the weekend following a 3-3 draw after extra time.

Before that setback, Rik De Mil’s side had won 11 of their previous 15 matches this season, a run that has helped them reach the top of the Belgian Pro League table and included a 1-0 victory over Aarhus in their opening league-phase fixture.

That result marked a winning return to the main stage of European competition for Gent, whose previous appearance came in the 2024-25 Conference League campaign, when they exited in the knockout play-offs after losing to Real Betis.

While victory would strengthen the Buffalos’ chances of securing automatic qualification for the knockout phase, they must overcome a poor away record in the competition, having won just one of their last 10 road matches in the Conference League while losing six during that period.

Braga Conference League form:

Braga form (all competitions):

Gent Conference League form:

Gent form (all competitions):

Team News

Full size image here

Braga do not appear to have any fresh injury concerns, although long-term absentee Sikou Niakate is expected to miss out once again as he continues his recovery from an Achilles tendon injury.

Captain Ricardo Horta has scored all three of his goals this season in the Conference League, and the attacker will be looking to make another decisive contribution on the continental stage.

Victor’s strike against Gil Vicente was his first goal in six matches, and the former Barcelona forward will be eager to find greater consistency in front of goal.

Gent are expected to remain without Mouhamed Ngom and Josue Vergara, who have both missed their last three outings through injury.

Last weekend’s domestic cup tie gave head coach De Mil the opportunity to field several fringe players, but he could revert to the lineup that secured victory over Aarhus, with Ibrahima Cisse leading the line

Braga possible starting lineup:

Lineup here

Gent possible starting lineup:

Lineup here

We say: Braga 1-1 Gent

Although Braga boast an impressive home record in European competition, their current form raises doubts over their chances of claiming all three points, while Gent have proved resilient this season and avoided defeat in regulation time before their recent penalty-shootout setback, making a draw a plausible outcome.
 

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.