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Sporting de Braga suffered a defeat at the hands of Famalicão (1-2) this Friday, in the opening match of the Primeira Liga, causing an upset at the Pedreira stadium, just three days after their victory against Backa Topola (3-0) on the path to the Champions League playoffs.
The Braga team couldn’t have asked for a better start to the game, as within the first ten minutes, they managed to celebrate at the Pedreira. From a direct free-kick, Ricardo Horta took his chance and netted a fantastic goal in the inaugural match of the Primeira Liga.
Famalicão attempted an immediate response, with Dobre coming close to equalizing, while Bruma also nearly found the net, hitting the post of Júnior Reis’ goal.
By halftime, Francisco Moura threatened to score against his former team, but both teams entered the break with a narrow advantage held by Braga.
João Pedro Sousa’s team emerged bolder in the second half, and after threatening a goal, they managed to equalize through Afonso Rodrigues, with a stunning long-range goal that stunned the Pedreira at the 67th minute, precisely in the middle of the second half.
Ricardo Horta led the Braga fightback and almost put his team ahead, but it was short-lived, as the support of around 19,000 fans wasn’t enough for Artur Jorge’s side to falter in the final stretch, despite several opportunities for João Pedro Sousa’s coached team.
The numerous threats ultimately led Famalicão to victory in injury time, with a beautiful strike from Aranda at the 90+5′ mark, assisted by Riccieli. This came after moments of tension among fans in the stands, leading to the arrest of a supporter by the police.
With 12 minutes of added time, Sporting de Braga couldn’t avoid the surprise defeat in the Primeira Liga opener, witnessing Famalicão triumph in the Minho derby and securing their first three points as well.
Key moment of the match: Undoubtedly, Aranda’s goal at the 90+5′ mark, a superb shot that marked Famalicão’s comeback and left Sporting de Braga stunned.
Lineups:
Sp. Braga: Matheus; Borja, Serdar, Paulo Oliveira, Victor Goméz; Vítor Carvalho, Al Musrati, André Horta, Bruma, Ricardo Horta; Abel Ruiz
Famalicão: Júnior Reis; Francisco Moura, Riccieli, Otávio, Aguirregabiria; Gustavo Assunção, Zaydou Youssouf; Pablo, Liimatta, Dobre; Jhonder Cádiz