Sporting Braga will aim for their fifth consecutive home victory when they host Nacional in the opening match of the 23rd round of the Primeira Liga on Friday. Currently fourth in the league with 44 points, Braga is looking to close the gap on league leaders Sporting CP to just five points with a win. On the other hand, Nacional, sitting 13th with 23 points, is fighting to distance itself from the relegation battle. Despite a poor away record, they will take confidence from their recent 2-0 victory at Farense, their first away win of the season. Braga has been one of the most in-form teams in Portugal, picking up 16 out of 18 available points in their last six matches. They have won four of their last five games, with a goalless draw at Vitoria Guimaraes being their only minor setback. Carlos Carvalhal’s side has been dominant at Estadio Municipal de Braga, winning four consecutive home matches. Their recent home victories include a notable 2-1 win over Lazio in the Europa League, showcasing their ability to perform against strong opposition.Braga’s defensive improvement has also been key, conceding only two goals in their last seven matches across all competitions. Even after Bruma’s departure to Benfica, Ismaël Gharbi has stepped up, adding quality to Braga’s attacking play. Nacional has endured a difficult campaign, sitting just four points above the relegation zone. A mixed run of three wins and four losses in their last eight games underlines their inconsistency. Away from home, Nacional has struggled significantly, failing to win in their first ten road games before finally securing a 2-0 victory at Farense. Despite this, they remain one of the league’s weakest away teams, which makes Friday’s challenge against Braga even tougher. Coach Tiago Margarido has emphasized mental preparation this week following a disappointing 2-2 draw against Estoril , where they conceded an equalizer in stoppage time (90+3). With key players like Joel Tagueu and Jose Gomes doubtful, Nacional may struggle to contain Braga’s attack. I see another win for the hosts

布拉加竞技将于周五在西甲第23轮的首场比赛中主场迎战国家队，以取得主场5连胜为目标。布拉加目前以44分排名联赛第四，他们希望通过一场胜利将与联赛领头羊马德里竞技的差距缩小到5分。另一方面，国民队以23分排名第13位，正在努力与保级战拉开距离。尽管客场战绩不佳，但他们将从最近2-0战胜法国人的比赛中获得信心，这是他们本赛季的第一场客场胜利。布拉加是葡萄牙赛场上状态最好的球队之一，在最近的6场比赛中，他们拿到了18分中的16分。他们在最近的五场比赛中取得了四场胜利，与维多利亚吉马良斯的一场零比零的平局是他们唯一的小挫折。卡洛斯·卡瓦哈尔的球队在布拉加市政体育场占据统治地位，连续四场主场获胜。他们最近的主场胜利包括在欧联杯2-1战胜拉齐奥，展示了他们面对强敌的能力。布拉加防守的改善也是关键，在最近的七场比赛中只丢了两个球。即使在布鲁马去了本菲卡之后，Ismaël加尔比也在进步，为布拉加的进攻增加了质量。国民队经历了一个艰难的赛季，仅比降级区高出4分。最近八场比赛三胜四负的战绩凸显了他们的不稳定。在客场，国民队表现不佳，在前10场客场比赛中未能获胜，最终以2-0战胜法国人。尽管如此，他们仍然是联赛中最弱的客场球队之一，这使得周五对布拉加的挑战更加艰难。主教练蒂亚戈·玛格里多强调了本周在2-2战平埃斯托里尔后的心理准备，他们在补时阶段被扳平（90+3）。由于塔古和戈麦斯这样的主力球员无法上场，国家可能很难遏制布拉加的进攻。我看东道主又要赢了