Braga v Napoli is a match from the first day of the Champions League group stage and is played on Wednesday at 21:00: TV, line-ups, predictions.
Houston, we have a problem. It’s probably more than one, if we consider that even in Genoa last Saturday, Napoli looked unrecognisable and nearly conceded another defeat, the second in a row, after the one against Lazio.
In the final minutes first Raspadori and then Politano put things (partially) right by retaking the red and blue (2-2). But it was the performance that was not convincing, and above all some choices – one above all, the substitution of Kvaratskhelia-Zerbin – by coach Rudi Garcia, who suddenly ended up in the eye of the storm. The French coach, called to pick up the heavy inheritance of Luciano Spalletti, is accused of having completely distorted the game of his predecessor, generating confusion even among the players themselves. In short, the enthusiasm for winning the Scudetto in the Neapolitan city seems to have already evaporated. Napoli is lagging behind in the standings (7 points from four games), almost half as much as the leading Inter team. Garcia will try to redeem himself in the Champions League, with the Azzurri immediately called upon to score points after being in a not exactly easy group with Real Madrid, Braga and Union Berlin. Starting in the first group, it could have gone better.
Braga to be taken with caution
The partenopei’s adventure will start in Portugal against what was last year’s third-strongest side in the Liga Portugal, the top Lusitanian league.
Artur Jorge
Artur Jorge’s Braga comes from the preliminaries. The red and whites were already on the pitch in the first days of August against the Serbian side Backa Topola, who were beaten in both the first leg and the return leg. More complicated was the decisive play-off, in which Horta and his team-mates had to defeat the Greek Panathinaikos, who were beaten by a narrow margin (2-1 and 0-1) both at the Estadio Municipal and in Athens. In the championship, Braga won seven points in the first five matches. One of the two defeats came last Saturday against Farense (3-1), most probably the result of the coach’s excessive turnover, already with his mind on the match against Napoli. For the Azzurri, it was an affordable opponent, but one not to be underestimated. Last February, in the Conference League, it was Fiorentina’s turn to challenge Braga, with the Viola surprisingly mortgaging the passage to the round thanks to the roaring success of the first leg, which ended 0-4. Both teams will take the field with the standard formation. The Portuguese will field Spain’s Under-21 striker Abel Ruiz up front, while in the Napoli defence Garcia could throw in new signing Natan in place of Juan Jesus, who was among the most struggling in Genoa.
The prediction
A possible banana peel for a Napoli side coming off two bad performances and giving the impression of being the distant relative of last year’s side. We expect a minimal reaction in Portugal but betting on a Azzurri success could be risky: there is a good chance the Neapolitans will concede at least one goal.
Braga v Napoli likely line-ups
- BRAGA (4-3-3): Matheus; Marín, José Fonte, Niakaté, Gómez; Al Musrati, Vitor Carvalho, Bruma; Djaló, Ricardo Horta, Ruiz.
- NAPOLI (4-3-3): Meret; Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Natan, Olivera; Zambo Anguissa, Lobotka, Zieliński; Raspadori, Osimhen, Kvaratskhelia.
POSSIBLE RESULT: 1-1
