Sporting Braga — Lincoln Red Imps : Match Preview and Prediction for August 28,2025

Dominant First Leg Performance

Braga definitively settled the tie against Lincoln in the first leg, securing their spot in the Europa League group stage with a commanding 4-0 victory over the Gibraltarian champions. The ‘Red-Whites’ displayed complete and undisputed dominance from the opening whistle.

New Coach and Recent Form

It’s worth noting that Sporting Braga welcomed a new coach this season, Spaniard Carlos Vicens, who has had a very promising start to his tenure at the Portuguese club. Unfortunately, their first setback in the Primeira Liga occurred last weekend after a trip to Algarve, where they drew 2-2 at home against AFS. The ‘Red-Whites’ narrowly escaped defeat thanks to a late goal from Navarro at the very end of the match.

Solid Defensive Record

Nonetheless, it’s important to highlight Braga’s unusual tendency to concede early in the season. Prior to this, considering both the Primeira Liga and Europa League qualifiers, the hosts had played 7 official matches, conceding goals in only two of them. Allowing just 3 goals in 7 matches speaks volumes about the robustness of the Portuguese side’s defense at the start of the season. For the return leg against Lincoln, Horta and Noro will be unavailable.

Successful European Campaign for Lincoln

Despite the 0-4 defeat in their ‘home’ match in Algarve, Lincoln can still be pleased with their European campaign. Juan Bezares’ team will not be without European football this autumn, as they are set to compete in the Conference League. This is undoubtedly a success for the Gibraltarian club, marking their second appearance in the Conference League group stage in their history, four years after their initial breakthrough.

Challenges Ahead for Lincoln

The return leg against Braga now becomes a mere formality for the Gibraltarian champions, who have faced an immensely powerful opponent, clearly out of their league. While playing away in European qualifiers this season, Lincoln managed to score in two out of three matches. However, those opponents were not as formidable as Braga. In their most recent encounter against Armenian champions Noah, the Red Imps played out a 0-0 draw.