Sporting Braga vs Maccabi Petach Tikva Prediction and Betting Tips | July 25th 2024
Sporting Braga will host Maccabi Petach Tikva at the Estadio Municipal de Braga on Thursday in the first leg of their 2024-25 UEFA Europa League second-round qualifying clash. The home side enjoyed a largely positive league campaign last season and will now begin their push for continental football this week.
They performed well during the off-season winning four of their first five friendly outings before wrapping things up with a 2-2 draw against La Liga outfit Rayo Vallecano last week. They will now be looking to carry that momentum onto competitive action this Thursday.
Maccabi Petach Tikva were promoted to the Israeli top-flight last season and enjoyed an average campaign in the league. They however had an historic run in the State Cup, ultimately clinching the domestic cup title in May for the first time since 1952 and will return to the European qualifiers for the first time since the 2006-07 campaign.
They returned to competitive action last week facing Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Super Cup where they lost 2-0. They will now be looking to bounce back from that on Thursday.
Sporting Braga vs Maccabi Petach Tikva Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
- Thursday's game will mark the first-ever meeting between Braga and Petach Tikva.
- The hosts are without a clean sheet in their last four games and have managed just one in their last 11.
- Only two of Petach Tikva's 11 league wins last season came on the road.
- Braga scored 71 goals in the Primeira Liga last season. Only Benfica (77) and champions Sporting (96) scored more.
Sporting Braga vs Maccabi Petach Tikva Prediction
Braga have had back-to-back unbeaten outings and have lost just one of their last six matches. They have won five of their last seven games at the Estádio Municipal de Braga and will head into the midweek clash as clear favorites.
Maccabi Petach Tikva are on a run of back-to-back defeats after going undefeated in their five games prior. They have struggled for results on the road of late and could see defeat against significantly stronger opposition this week.
Prediction: Sporting Braga 3-0 Maccabi Petach Tikva
Sporting Braga vs Maccabi Petach Tikva Betting Tips
Tip 1 - Result: Braga
Tip 2 - Goals - Over/under 2.5 - Over 2.5 goals (Three of the hosts' last four matches have produced more than 2.5 goals)
Tip 3 - Both teams to score: NO (Both sides have found the back of the net in just two of the visitors' last seven competitive matches)