Hoffenheim left northern Portugal for the second time in recent weeks with their tails between their legs after Braga got their Europa League campaign back on track with a 3-0 victory over the Germans at the Quarry tonight.
In a curious game, two early goals by Bruma and Roger and a spectacular stoppage time strike by Vítor Carvalho resulted in a 3-0 victory for the hosts, despite the fact that in the intervening 80 minutes the German team did most of the attacking.
Braga’s players left coach Carlos Carvalhal tearing his hair out, especially in the first half, with their inability to keep hold of the ball or prevent the constant waves of attacks towards Matheus’s net.
No matter, the record books will show a convincing triumph for the Arsenalistas, which could prove vital for their hopes of progression in the competition given that two of their final three matches are tough assignments against Italian giants Roma (away) and Lazio (home).
Carlos Carvalhal has yet to decide on a settled starting XI this season, and he mixed things up again tonight by playing Bright Arrey-Mbi, Sikou Niakaté and João Ferreira at the back in a 3-4-3 formation.
And it was a dream start for Braga as Bruma took advantage of a crass mistake by Oliver Baumann to open the scoring in the early exchanges. Bruma was at his dynamic best all night, the winger often drifting towards the centre of the pitch and causing panic with his clever switches of play and incisive passing. Some of the fans were still getting comfortable in their seats when the Portugal international initiated an easy-on-the-eye flowing move that ended with Roger Fernandes collecting Ricardo Horta’s pass and firing low into the net.
Eight minutes gone and Braga two goals to the good!
Braga have been fantastically inconsistent this season, sometimes within matches, such as the recent game against Sporting at the same venue when they bossed the champions for 45 minutes before capitulating in the second half.
Perhaps Carvalhal had that in mind as the increasingly agitated coach barked out instructions upon seeing his charges abdicate to build on their lead and hand the initiative to Hoffenheim. On 19 minutes Mergim Berisha seemed certain to pull a goal back, but Niakaté cleared his shot off the line with Matheus way out of his goal.
Braga were playing a dangerous game with their somewhat shaky offside trap, often relying on Matheus rushing out of his goal to make a series of sliding tackles. A rising number of crosses and corners won also had the Braga defence working overtime. That said, despite committing plenty of energy and manpower to their attacking game, Hoffenheim lacked the art to truly test the Braga goalkeeper.
The visitors had more of the possession (55%) won the corner count 9-1 and the shot count 10-5, yet it was Braga who created the clearer chances. Roger and substitute Roberto Fernández were guilty of glaring misses in the second half.
Vítor Carvalho rounded off the night with a brilliant first-time left-foot volley from 20 yards out - again Bruma heavily involved in the buildup - that arrowed into the net off the post with goalkeeper Baumann rooted to the spot.
“It was an entirely just victory,” said Carvalhal post-match.
“Our team is evolving. We’ve got a lot of new players and youngsters who are settling in and do not know our game 100 percent yet. But we are a more and more adult team that is making fewer and fewer mistakes.”
By Tom Kundert
