Sporting Braga vs Ferencvaros Prediction: Hosts to rack up the corners in pursuit of goals

Ferencvaros overcame their underdog tag to beat Sporting Braga 2-0 in the first leg of their Uefa Europa League last-16 tie in Budapest last Thursday. The return fixture takes place this Wednesday (15:30 GMT, TNT Sports 1) at the Estadio Municipal de Braga, with the hosts needing to win by two goals to force extra time, or by three to sail straight through to the quarter-finals.

Below are my Sporting Braga vs Ferencvaros vs Sporting Braga predictions, alongside all the latest team news and match odds.

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Team News

Vitor Carvalho (unspecified) and Adrian Barisic (adductor) miss out again for Sporting Braga due to injury.

On a more positive note, head coach Carlos Vicens is able to welcome back defender Victor Gomez, who served a suspension last week.

Football Odds

Injured duo Stefan Gartenmann and Bence Otvos (both unspecified) are still sidelined for Ferencvaros, whose boss Robbie Keane must also make do without suspended midfielder Kristoffer Zachariassen, who will serve a one-match ban for an accumulation of bookings.

Sporting Braga vs Ferencvaros Odds

Sporting Braga, who won three of their four league-phase games at home, are 1/2 to win in regulation time on Wednesday, implying a 66.7% probability of success. Ferencvaros, meanwhile, are 5/1, or a 16.7% chance, to do the double over their Portuguese counterparts, with the draw offered at 18/5.

The hosts are 7/4 to win the tie by any means, while the visitors are 2/5 in the same market.

Home Team Total Corners Over/Under +8.5 - Over 8.5 @ 13/8

Last week's first leg saw 13 corners taken in Budapest, and 11 went the way of Braga.

The Portuguese side took two before Gabi Kanichowsky opened the scoring in the 32nd minute and another four prior to Lenny Joseph doubling the home team's lead in the 68th minute. The visitors really upped the ante during the latter stages of the match, taking five from the 81st minute onwards.

Today's Football Fixtures

Braga weren't messing around in Hungary, looking to cut Ferencvaros' advantage in half as quickly as possible, and so back on home soil, I expect pressure from the first whistle.

The Archbishops have taken nine corners in a Europa League home game once already this season, recording exactly that number in their 4-3 defeat to Genk on November 6, when they spent nearly a full half trying to get back on level terms.

Anytime Goalscorer - Ricardo Horta (BRA) @ 6/4

Braga captain Ricardo Horta has scored in each of his last four home appearances, totalling five goals in that stretch.

The 31-year-old failed to fire in Budapest last week, managing just a single shot, which went off target, in the 81st minute.

However, back on home soil, and with Braga needing to score at least twice, I'm expecting him to step up, as he did in his side's last game at the Estadio Municipal de Braga on March 7, when he struck the first equaliser of a 2-2 draw with Sporting CP.

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