The Primeira Liga season is well underway and after most teams played their fifth games over the weekend, there are still two sides with games in hand. Braga and Sporting meet on Monday night as both teams look to go level on points with Benfica at the top of the table.

STATS

• Braga will be more than happy with their start to the campaign as they’ve picked up 10 points from their opening four games, remaining unbeaten in the process. Wins against Nacional, Aves and Chaves as well as a draw with Santa Clara have put them in a great position at this stage. They won in the cup last time out beating Tondela 2-1 in the Taça da Liga.
• Sporting will be equally as impressed with their start as they have amassed the same amount of points as their upcoming opponents. They have beaten Moreirense, Setubal and Feirense whilst drawing with fellow title favourites Benfica. They played on Thursday night in the Europa League where they overcame Qarabag and won 2-0 at home.
• Braga have the division’s joint leading scorer in Dyego Sousa who has four goals as well as two assists, he is looking like one of the league’s stand-out players so far.
• Sporting’s leading scorer has just one less than that as Nani has begun the season in great form, netting three goals already.

HEAD TO HEAD

The recent meetings between the two Portuguese sides are quite even as both teams have won two of the last five league meetings. However, Sporting won eight successive matches before that so they certainly enjoy this fixture. In this game last term, Braga came away with a narrow 1-0 win after drawing at Sporting earlier in the campaign. There have been over 2.5 goals in five of the last seven meetings between these two and both teams have scored in four of those games.

BRAGA NEWS

Three points for Braga will take them level with Benfica at the top but it would have to be an emphatic win for them to overtake them. Raul Silva has returned to training so might be considered while Vitor Fereira and Lazar Rosic are out for the match through injury.

Latest matches: Sporting Braga

15.09.2018	Leag	Sporting Braga	CD Tondela	2:1	W
31.08.2018	Prim	GD Chaves	Sporting Braga	0:1	W
26.08.2018	Prim	Sporting Braga	CD das Aves	3:1	W
19.08.2018	Prim	CD Santa Clara	Sporting Braga	3:3	D
16.08.2018	UEFA	Sporting Braga	FC Zorya Lugansk	2:2	D

SPORTING NEWS

Sporting can also go level at the top with a win but like Braga, it’s unrealistic that they will knock Benfica off top spot. Bas Dost and Emiliano Viviano face last fitness tests to be fit whilst Wendel and Jeremy Mathieu will not feature on Monday night.

Latest matches: Sporting CP

20.09.2018	UEFA	Sporting CP	Qarabag FK	2:0	W
16.09.2018	Leag	Sporting CP	CS Maritimo Madeira	3:1	W
01.09.2018	Prim	Sporting CP	CD Feirense	1:0	W
25.08.2018	Prim	Benfica Lisbon	Sporting CP	1:1	D
18.08.2018	Prim	Sporting CP	Vitoria Setubal	2:1	W

SUMMARY

With both sides in such good form and yet to be beaten in the league this season, it’s a tough one to call. Despite Sporting being away from home, they will still fancy their chances and they’ve got the better chance of taking all three points. However, a score draw looks like a very likely outcome and will ensure that neither team loses their unbeaten league record so far.