Nottingham Forest will visit the Estádio Municipal de Braga on Thursday in an important match for Europa League qualification.
The team faces Sporting Braga, as both aim for a top-eight finish. Nottingham Forest has struggled in their domestic matches but has shown strong performance in Europe.
Currently in 11th place, Forest hopes to move ahead of their hosts, who are in seventh. However, Braga has an impressive home record, making this a tough match for the visitors.
Sporting Braga vs Nottingham Forest – Match Preview and Team News
- Date: Thursday, 22 January 2026
- Kick-off: 20:00 GMT
- Venue: Estádio Municipal de Braga, Braga, Portugal
- Referee: Igor Pajač
- VAR: Ivan Bebek
- Last Meeting: Braga 0–3 Nottingham Forest (July 2016 – Friendly)
Team News
Sporting Braga
Carlos Vicens will be without top scorer Rodrigo Zalazar due to a suspension. Injuries also rule out Amine El Ouazzani and Sandro Vidigal. January signing Samy Merheg cannot compete at this stage. Experienced midfielder João Moutinho is expected to play.
Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest has welcomed Ola Aina and Angus Gunn to their squad. Gunn steps in for the injured John Victor, while Aina returns after an injury. Chris Wood remains out with a knee injury. The team’s leading scorer, Igor Jesus, is set to start.
Form
Sporting Braga
Braga has made their home ground a stronghold in Europe, winning 10 of their last 13 matches across all European competitions, including qualifiers. The team has kept nine clean sheets during this stretch. Captain Ricardo Horta is on track to make his 50th Europa League appearance, contributing with 13 assists in the tournament.
Nottingham Forest
Heading to Portugal, Nottingham Forest aims to set a record for their manager Sean Dyche, who has won three of his first four Europa League matches. A win would make him the first English manager to secure four victories in his first five games. The team has previously beaten Portuguese side FC Porto 2–0 this season, marking their first competitive matchup against Braga.
Predicted Lineups
Sporting Braga Predicted XI: Hornicek; Lagerbielke, Carvalho, Niakate; Dorgeles, Grillitsch, Moutinho, Lelo; Martinez, Victor, Horta
Nottingham Forest Predicted XI: Sels; Savona, Milenkovic, Murillo, Williams; Anderson, Luiz; Ndoye, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Jesus
How to watch Sporting Braga vs Nottingham Forest?
The match will be shown live in the UK on TNT Sports 1, starting at 19:00 GMT.
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