Maccabi Petah Tikva vs Sporting Braga Prediction: Visitors can brush hosts aside

Israeli outfit Maccabi Petah Tikva and Portugal’s Sporting Braga meet in the second leg of their Europa League qualifier on Thursday (18:30), with the visitors holding a 2-0 lead after victory in the first leg.

The game will be played on neutral territory at the Georgi Asparuhov Stadium in Sofia, Bulgaria, and the winner will move on to the third qualifying round of Europe’s second-tier club competition. Read on for my Maccabi Petah Tikva vs Sporting Braga prediction and all the latest team news.

Football Odds

Team News

Maccabi Petah Tikva have no fresh injury concerns and may stick with the same side that started in last week’s 2-0 defeat in Portugal, with Anas Mahamid and Luka Stor starting in attack.

Braga have no new concerns but they could be tempted to make a few changes as new signings Roberto Fernandez and Gabri Martinez featured as substitutes last week and could be handed their first starts.

Maccabi Petah Tikva vs Sporting Braga Odds

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Braga are the clear favourites to win the match at 2/7, a draw is 4/1 and the designated hosts are 13/2 to triumph.

Both teams scored in four of Braga’s final five games last season and they only managed one clean sheet in seven attempts in pre-season, so both teams to score may appeal at 4/5 despite Tikva drawing a blank in the first leg.

In the total goals market, over 2.5 goals is 1/2 and over 3.5 is 6/5.

Braga -2 handicap @ 2/1

Braga won the first leg 2-0, but that result probably flattered the Israeli side and had it not been for the herculean efforts of keeper Marco Wolff the margin of victory would have been far greater.

Wolff managed an impressive seven saves in that game as Braga peppered the Petah Tikva goal, and there is a good chance that it could be all one-way traffic when the tie resumes on Thursday.

Tikva have no discernible home advantage in the return leg and Braga should come into the game a little sharper than they did last week, as that was their first outing of the season.

The first meeting demonstrated that there is a big gulf in class between these two sides and at 2/1 backing Braga to cover a -2 handicap has real appeal.

Ricardo Horta anytime scorer @ 6/4

Ricardo Horta opened the scoring in the first leg and the Braga skipper looks the standout bet for an anytime effort.

The 29-year-old finished last season with a solid nine goals in 28 Portuguese league games but fared better in the domestic cups, netting four times in seven games across two competitions.

Horta also grabbed one goal in two friendly appearances over the summer and looks to be heading into the new season sharp, so he looks a good value option to find a way through against Tikva.

Offers

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