Preview: Braga vs. Porto
Defending champions Porto will put their Taca de Portugal crown on the line when they face Braga in the final at the Estadio Nacional on Sunday.
Porto have featured in four of the last seven finals, triumphing in 2020 and 2022, while Braga secured the silverware in 2021.
Braga will go in search of their third Taca de Portugal title in eight seasons when they take to the pitch on Sunday, having defeated Porto on penalties in the 2016 final before overcoming Benfica two years ago.
Os Arsenalistas kicked off this season’s cup campaign with victories over Felgueiras 1932, Moreirense and Vitoria de Guimaraes before dispatching Benfica on penalties to book their place in the last four.
In the semi-finals, Braga chalked up a 7-2 aggregate victory against second-tier outfit Nacional, winning the first leg 5-0 thanks to braces from Uros Racic and Simon Banza before drawing the second leg 2-2.
Artur Jorge’s men finished their domestic campaign with a 3-0 victory over Pacos Ferreira last weekend, meaning that Braga finished third in the Primeira Liga – seven points shy of second-placed Porto.
Having suffered a solitary defeat in their previous 14 outings across all competitions – notching 10 wins along the way – Braga will be hopeful of lifting the trophy in Lisbon this weekend.
That said, Porto head into Sunday’s final in sparkling form, having won each of their previous 11 matches across all competitions, with a 3-0 victory over Vitoria de Guimaraes coming last weekend.
The Dragons have also avoided defeat in each of their last 15 games, securing 13 wins in the process, with a measly two losses coming in their previous 39 encounters, so they will be confident of defending their crown.
After making light work of Anadia, Mafra and Aroucu in the early rounds – scoring 13 goals while keeping three clean sheets – Sergio Conceicao’s men punched their ticket to the semi-finals with a 1-0 victory against Academico Viseu.
The 18-time Taca de Portugal champions then set up a fifth final in eight seasons by claiming a dramatic 5-3 aggregate win over Famalicao, with Otavio and Evanilson both scoring after the 120th minute in the second leg.
Only Benfica have won more Taca de Portugal finals than Porto, although the Dragons have dominated the competition in recent years, reaching 11 of the last 20 showpieces while triumphing on seven occasions.
Braga Taca de Portugal form:
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Braga form (all competitions):
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Porto Taca de Portugal form:
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Porto form (all competitions):
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We say: Braga 1-3 Porto
Carrying an 11-game winning streak into Sunday’s showpiece, Porto look set to defend their Taca de Portugal crown at the expense of Braga, who will likely struggle to deal with the Dragons’ attacking firepower.