The Champions League qualifying match between Sporting Braga and Panathinaikos will be held on August 24, 2023, at 02:00 WIB. The stadium where the fight between the two will take place is the Estádio Municipal de Braga (Braga).
Watch the Sporting Braga and Panathinaikos match on August 24, 2023
Braga looked dominant, defeating Baka Topola with an aggregate score of 7-1 in the final preliminary stage. Meanwhile, their Greek rival, in a match full of tension with penalty kicks, managed to eliminate former champion Marseille in the third round.
Now the spotlight will be on the exciting confrontation between the two teams. They will fight for a place in the main round of this prestigious tournament.
Although Braga enjoyed an unassailable 3-0 lead in the first leg against Serbian side Baka Topola. They stayed up and didn’t take the game at TSC Arena lightly last week. Braga gave an impressive show to the fans, defeating their opponent with a series of wonderful goals in the first half.
In just 20 minutes after the starting whistle, Bruma, Alvaro Gallo, Al-Misrati and even “Pizza” had their names on the scoreboard. This exceptional attacking performance was able to lead the way. Although Baka Topola’s Marko Rakoncak eventually managed to respond with a fantastic goal.
Stastik Sporting Braga vs Panathinaikos
Sporting Braga vs. Panathinaikos, on August 24, 2023, is sure to be a tough one. Braga maintained its attacking strength by scoring four more goals. This action was carried out just four days after defeating Baka Topola 4-1.
Moreover, they managed to turn the score around from 2-1 to win 4-2. It is against Chavez in the Portuguese League match on Saturday. Braga achieved its first domestic victory this season.
Despite a rocky start to the season, with a 2-1 defeat to Famalicao in their opening match, the morale of Artur Jorge’s side remains high. The eight goals they scored in their last two away games were the perfect replenishment to erase that initial defeat.
Braga also have an impressive history in Champions League qualification. They made their previous two group stage appearances in the 2010-11 and 2012-13 seasons. They achieved this after overcoming the final hurdles of Seville and Udinese.
Panathinaikos, different from Braga and the majority of other teams competing in the race for Champions League tickets, has not yet begun its journey in the domestic competition. This gives them the advantage of fully focusing on their challenge in the Europa League.
As a result, after a 5–3 aggregate win over Ukraine’s Dnipro 1 in their opening match, Panathinaikos rolled out the red carpet for Marseille on 9 August. They managed to win 1-0 in the first leg, adding to their record of victories over the top giants in the competition. Last week, their visit to the Orange Velodrome became a nightmare for the French team.
Predicting the final outcome
Marseille fans have learned a valuable lesson not to underestimate Panathinaikos. This club only had a week’s rest to prepare for the fierce battle against Braga. Braga itself is currently in great shape under Jorge’s tutelage.
In this match, the home team’s resolve will be tested like never before, as they will pass a much tougher test than Baka Topola. However, it may be very difficult for Panathinaikos to contain Braga’s lethal firepower.
The visiting team will have to put in a lot of effort when they enter Athens for the return match. They must try to maintain their lead to get full points.
So, we expect the match between Sporting Braga and Panathinaikos on August 24, 2023 to be 2-1 in favor of Braga. We will witness an exciting battle that may bring more goals. However, Braga have the potential to emerge as winners by a narrow margin.
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