Braga v Santa Clara: European push meets mid-table climb | OneFootball

Braga host Santa Clara in Liga Portugal on Monday, 15 December 2025 at the Estádio Municipal de Braga, with the hosts in sixth targeting the European places and the visitors seeking a mid-table lift.

Braga have dominated this fixture, winning 11 of the last 17 meetings, and beat Santa Clara 5-0 in the Taça da Liga earlier this season. Recent momentum also favours the hosts, who have taken three straight league wins, following up a 4-0 victory at Arouca with a 2-1 success at Famalicão and an away win at Nice in Europe.

Carlos Vicens' side typically control games, averaging 65% possession and 87.25% passing accuracy this league season. With 168 open-play crosses at 19.64% accuracy and five headed goals, the hosts could look to work wide angles for deliveries. Ricardo Horta leads their league scoring with five goals, with Rodrigo Zalazar on four. Santa Clara, who average 47% possession and have kept four clean sheets, may try to keep the game tight. Vinicius (four league goals) and Serginho (three) are their chief threats.

A win would move Braga to 25 points and could push them into the top five. Santa Clara would climb to 18 points with victory and could edge towards the top half as they look to consolidate in mid-table.