Man United v Braga: Portuguese can cause problems at Old Trafford
Published:Manchester United have never lost a game at Old Trafford when facing Portuguese opposition, yet Braga roll into town on a great run away from home in Europe, following their success at Galatasaray last time out.
The Portuguese side have not lost in seven successive jaunts around the continent and, although they haven’t played a team of United’s ilk in that spell, they clearly know a trick or two about playing away, which subtracts value from the host’s 1/3 for the win.
With defensive injuries aplenty, Sir Alex Ferguson could be forced to field Rio Ferdinand despite the impending disciplinary action he intends to take on him, though rumours are circulating that he, along with Patrice Evra, are to be ‘rested’ – read into that what you will.
This would be a rash move for Sir Alex to make as, on top of the injury situation, United have been flimsy at the back all season, whereas Braga are a solid unit with a spark up top. If they get a goal, things could quickly get frustrating for United.
They have kept clean sheets in three of their past four games, including their win in Turkey in the face of many sceptical of their chances; a massive 7/1 says they’ll do the same in the Theatre of Dreams, which has potential to be a decent outside punt.
However, only one side have stopped United finding the back of the net this season and that was 10 games ago, so for Braga to achieve this would represent a monumental achievement.
Defensively though, United are unquestionably weak, stopping just two of the 11 adversaries beating their ‘keeper, while Braga have scored 11 in four outings. This has no doubt played a part in formulating the 10/11 that says both teams will score here – it’s well worth getting involved with.
If you’re looking for a big pay out from a small stake, three of Man United’s last five wins have seen them come back from a goal down, as was the case in their last Champions League outing. As established, Braga have every chance of bagging so, should the Portuguese club score first, there’s a great chance of the 15/2 Ladbrokes are offering paying dividends.
All odds and markets accurate as of publication’s time and date
