Matchday 7 of the 2024/25 Europa League group stage will see Union (Belgium) take on Braga (Portugal) on January 23 at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels. Union vs. Braga: prediction, betting odds, statistics.
Referee: Nicholas Walsh (Scotland)
Matches – 6 (International matches, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 38;
Average yellow cards per match – 6.3;
Red cards shown – 3;
Average fouls per match – 28;
Penalties – 33%.
Predicted lineups for Union vs. Braga
Union (4-3-3): Anthony Moris – Koki Machida, Christian Burgess, Kevin Mac Allister, Anan Khalaili – Sofiane Boufal, Charles Vanhoutte, Noah Sadiki – Ousseynou Niang, Franjo Ivanovic, Mohammed Fuseini.
Braga (4-3-3): Matheus Magalhães – João Ferreira, Paulo Oliveira, Robson Bambu, Roger Fernandes – Jean-Baptiste Gorby, João Moutinho, Ismael Gharbi – Gabi Martinez, Amine El Ouazzani, Ricardo Horta.
Each team's starting lineup from their previous match in this tournament is provided.
Union
The club has won their last two Europa League matches by a one-goal margin, defeating Twente (1-0) and Nice (2-1). Prior to these victories, Union had not won any group stage matches (2 draws, 2 losses). Thanks to their recent success, the team has moved into the playoff zone in the Europa League standings, climbing to 20th place. They are just three points away from the top eight, which means the Brussels club is still in contention for a direct spot in the Europa League round of 16. Notably, matches involving Union have been among the lowest-scoring in the group stage, with an average of 1.7 goals per game, a figure only lower in Olympiacos matches (1.3).
- No more than 3 goals have been scored in the club's last 14 Europa League matches.
- Union has not scored more than once in 7 of their last 9 Europa League games.
- The team's unbeaten home streak in this tournament stands at 7 matches (4 wins, 3 draws).
Braga
The Portuguese team lost 0-3 to Roma in the last round, suffering their third defeat in the group stage (2 wins, 1 draw). As a result, Braga has dropped out of the playoff zone in the Europa League standings, falling from 18th to 25th place. However, they trail their three closest competitors only due to a worse goal difference and still have a theoretical chance of direct qualification to the round of 16. The team's defensive play has been unreliable, conceding in 5 of their 6 group stage matches, with a total of 10 goals against. Additionally, Braga has struggled away from home, earning just one point in the group stage of this tournament, with a goal difference of 1:7.
The main goalkeeper, Matheus Magalhães, will miss the upcoming match due to suspension.
- At least 3 goals have been scored in 8 of Braga's last 9 Europa League matches.
- The club has scored in 7 of their last 9 matches in this tournament.
- The team's winless away streak in the Europa League stands at 4 matches (2 draws, 2 losses), and they have conceded in all of them.
Union vs. Braga: Match Prediction
Bookmakers have made the hosts the favorites for the upcoming match, and I agree. The Brussels team is extremely dangerous at home, where they have not lost in 7 matches in the second-tier European competition. During this period, they have faced renowned opponents like Liverpool (2-1) and Roma (1-1). It's also worth noting that Union regularly scores at home, finding the net in 8 of their last 9 Europa League matches.
This does not bode well for Braga, who, as mentioned earlier, perform poorly away from home. They also have an unreliable defense, having conceded 10 goals in the group stage, with 7 of them coming in away matches. There is no doubt that the hosts will be closer to success in the upcoming match. Moreover, the Brussels club recently faced Braga in the Europa League group stage in the 2022/23 season and did not lose to them (2-1, 3-3). The absence of their main goalkeeper due to a red card in the last round will also be a disadvantage for the visitors.
Therefore, my prediction is Union with a handicap (0)
