View from the Opposition: Sporting Braga

Ahead of Thursday's Europa League meeting with Sporting Braga, we spoke to A Bola journalist Nuno Paralvas - to get the Portuguese perspective on the tie.

The first leg gets underway at 18:55 CET (17:55 local time).

Can you give us an overview of Sporting Braga: how will they look to play, and who are their key players?

"Sporting Braga are among the top sides in Portugal. Over the last 10 years they have only failed to finish inside the top four twice, and they've finished third in the table twice too. They are always striving to close the game between them and the three historic powers in Portuguese football [Porto, Benfica and Sporting Lisbon].

"During the 2009-10 season they were even in the title race. The following season they had a squad with a nice mix of young players and experienced heads who got them to the final of the Europa League - although they lost to Porto.

"The current coach is Carlos Carvalhal, who likes an attacking style of football but is also an experienced and pragmatic coach when the occasion demands it. Right now Braga are third in the table, one point behind Porto and two ahead of Benfica.

"In terms of the players, the young winger Galeno is a real talent. Ricardo Horta is a mobile, dangerous forward who knows how to score and create too. Unfortunately midfielder Paulinho was sold to Sporting in January - although the team seems to have reacted quite well to that departure. They are also without key defender David Carno, who suffered an ankle injury recently."

What tactical approach will Carvalhal use, and what sort of game can we expect?

“Braga can play in a few different ways: 3-4-3, 3-5-2, 4-4-2 or 4-2-3-1. In their last two meetings with Porto they went with a 3-4-3 and a 4-4-2 setup at different points. But the loss of David Carmo has harmed their ability to really use a three-man defensive system."

How is Paulo Fonseca viewed in Portugal, especially in recent years?

“Fonseca's career has really taken off. He had a tough time of it at Porto, but he found a way to get things back on track and has since made real progress in his career. Over here the work he has done so far at Roma has been viewed positively, not least because of the way he tries to get the team playing an attractive style."

Tiago Pinto has recently joined the club as General Manager - what can you tell us about him?

“Tiago Pinto's move to Roma was somewhat unexpected - but at the same time it was not a real surprise to many people. The work he had done at Benfica was well-regarded and there were a lot of clubs that were interested in him.

"He is passionate about his work and goes about his business with professionalism and determination. He doesn't like to be in the spotlight and he knows how football clubs, boardrooms and the transfer market operate."

What is your prediction for this last-32 tie?

“Clearly, Roma are the favourites. But if they are not at their best then they could certainly run into problems. Sporting Braga have the quality to make life very difficult for Roma."