Braga will win again! Maccabi Petah Tikva vs Braga Prediction
One of the Europa League second-round qualification matches will take place on Thursday on neutral ground in Bulgaria, where Israeli side Maccabi Petah Tikva will face Portuguese club Braga. The first match ended with a confident 2-0 victory for Braga. Is there a chance for an upset in this tie? Here is the prediction for the match from the Dailysports expert team.
Maccabi Petah Tikva
The "Blue and Whites" finished in a modest eighth place in the Superliga table last season, gathering only 40 points in 33 matches. On the other hand, Guy Luzon's team won the Israeli Cup, defeating Hapoel Be'er Sheva 1-0 in the final. This victory allowed the team to start in the Europa League qualification.
It must be acknowledged that the draw gave the Israelis a very tough opponent with extensive experience in European competitions. In the first match, Maccabi looked frankly helpless. The shots on target statistic alone - 9:0 - says it all. It should also be noted that prior to the trip to Portugal, Maccabi played in the Super Cup match, losing 0:2 to Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Braga
The "Arsenalistas" performed at their usual level last season, finishing behind the top three in the Portuguese league. Arthur Jorge's team now faces another season in European competitions. Last season, Braga started in the Champions League, where they finished third in their group and moved into the Europa League playoffs.
In the home match against Qarabag, Braga surprisingly lost 2:4. Away, Braga tried to rectify the situation by winning 2:0, but Qarabag scored in extra time to advance. In the first match against Maccabi, Arthur Jorge's players looked very strong and could have scored more. Nevertheless, the 2:0 scoreline should be enough for the overall victory.
Interesting Facts About the Match and Head-to-Head History
- The teams have not previously played against each other in European competitions.
- In 3 of the last 4 matches involving Braga, the "Total Over 2.5" bet has played out.
- Maccabi has lost their last three matches.
Maccabi Petah Tikva vs Braga Prediction
Bookmakers understandably give the edge to the Portuguese team in this match. The odds for Braga's victory are around 1.31. We believe that Braga will win again, and for our bet, we take "Total Under 3.5" with odds of 1.64.
