Braga Favoured to Strike First Against Dinamo Minsk

Braga will host Dinamo Minsk in the first leg of their UEFA Conference League third qualifying round tie early on Friday. There is a clear gap in quality between the two sides, and after scoring five goals across the previous round, the Portuguese side are well backed to take the initiative in this matchup.

Although the new Primeira Liga season has not started yet, Braga have looked in strong overall form. In both legs against Zeljeznicar in the second qualifying round, they used a 4-3-3 system to control the game at both ends of the pitch and scored five goals across the two matches. In particular, in their last home game, Braga showed attacking depth, with Ricardo Horta opening the scoring and four different players getting on the scoresheet. Carrying momentum from consecutive wins, Braga should have enough to secure a first-leg victory against an ordinary Dinamo Minsk side.

Dinamo Minsk come from Belarus, where the overall football standard is not especially high, and their European record has not been convincing. They did reach the league phase of the Conference League in the 2024-25 season, but managed only one win and five defeats in six matches, missing out on the knockout rounds. This season, Dinamo Minsk began their Conference League campaign in the first qualifying round and needed a penalty shootout to scrape through. In the second qualifying round, they won away in the first leg but lost at home in the return leg, still progressing 4-3 on aggregate. All of that points to an inconsistent side with limited overall strength, and this trip to Braga looks like a very difficult task.