Braga v Hoffenheim background
Braga will safeguard a fourth revisit to a UEFA Europa League turn of 32 if they finish a double over a Hoffenheim side unfortunate for a initial divided win in European competition.
• Qualification will also be positive for a Portuguese club if they pull and İstanbul Başakşehir destroy to win a other Group C tie divided to territory leaders Ludogorets.
• Hoffenheim will be out if they lose, or if they pull and Ludogorets do not lose, due to their head-to-head wickedness to Braga.
Previous meetings
• The sides met for a initial time in European foe on matchday one, Braga entrance from behind to win 2-1 interjection to goals from João Carlos and Dyego Sousa after German general striker Sandro Wagner had put Hoffenheim in front.
• That was Braga’s initial win in 7 matches opposite Bundesliga teams (D2 L4). Their final dual home fixtures opposite German sides have both finished in defeat.
Form guide
• Braga have mislaid only one of their 8 European matches this deteriorate (W5 D2) – their many new home fixture, in that they succumbed 2-0 to Ludogorets on matchday three.
• Fourth in a 2016/17 Bundesliga, Hoffenheim took 4 points from their dual organisation games opposite İstanbul Başakşehir, carrying mislaid any of their initial 4 European encounters. They have, however, scored during slightest once on any of their 6 European outings.
• Fifth in Portugal final term, and runners-up in a 2010/11 UEFA Europa League, Braga are competing in this organisation theatre for a third true season. Last season’s disaster to strech a turn of 32 finished a ideal record of subordinate from UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League organisation stages, their initial 5 forays carrying all been successful.
• Beaten by Liverpool home and divided in a UEFA Champions League play-offs, Hoffenheim are contesting a UEFA Europa League organisation theatre in what is a club’s entrance deteriorate in European competition.
Links and trivia
• The tour from Hoffenheim’s Sinsheim home to Braga is around 1,600km.
• Suspended for subsequent compare if booked: Raúl Silva, Ricardo Ferreira and Marcelo Goiano (Braga); Dennis Geiger, Kerem Demirbay and Andrej Kramarić (Hoffenheim).
The coaches
• At a helm given Apr 2017, Abel Ferreira was formerly Braga’s B group coach. A right-back, he graduated from home-town side Penafiel to Vitória Guimarães, Braga and Sporting CP, where he won dual Portuguese Cups before timid in 2011.
• Hoffenheim manager Julian Nagelsmann’s personification career finished betimes due to determined knee problems, though he shone as a girl manager and – aged 28 – took assign of Hoffenheim in 2016, apropos a Bundesliga’s youngest-ever comparison boss.