The first leg of the 2025/26 Europa League round of 16 tie between Ferencvarosi Torna Club (Hungary) and Sporting Clube de Braga (Portugal) will take place on 12 March at the Groupama Arena in Budapest. Ferencvarosi Torna Club vs Sporting Clube de Braga: prediction, betting odds and statistics.
Ferencvarosi Torna Club
Ferencvarosi Torna Club came through the previous round the hard way. The team lost the first play-off match against Ludogorets (1:2), but then regrouped and earned a 2:0 win at home – that was enough to go through without extra time. That result ended a three-match winless run in the Europa League (one draw, two defeats), while the club also kept a clean sheet for the first time in their last eight games in this tournament. Now the Hungarians will feature in the Europa League round of 16; the last time they reached this stage was in 2022/23, when the team were knocked out by Bayer.
- At least two goals have been scored in eight straight Ferencvarosi Torna Club games in the Europa League.
- The club's unbeaten home run in this European competition stands at nine matches (seven wins, two draws).
- The Hungarians have scored in 10 home Europa League matches in a row.
Potential Ferencvarosi Torna Club Lineup (3-5-2)*
David Grof – Ibrahim Cisse, Ton Ramakers, Mariano Gomez – Cebrail Makreckis, Bence Etves, Gavriel Kanichowsky, Mohammad Abu Fani, Kadu – Bamidele Yusuf, Lenny Joseph.
Midfielder Callum O'Dowda is serving a suspension. The participation of midfielder Bence Etves is in doubt.
Sporting Clube de Braga
Sporting Clube de Braga did not need to go through the play-offs, as the club finished sixth in the overall Europa League league-phase table. Sporting Clube de Braga were separated from two rivals strictly on the tie-breakers. The team picked up 17 points from a possible 24, suffering just one defeat across eight matchdays. Overall, the Portuguese side have lost only one of their last 15 Europa League matches. The club's current unbeaten run in this tournament stands at four games, although it is worth noting that two of those four ended in draws. It is also worth adding that in the league phase Sporting Clube de Braga conceded five goals in total – only two teams have a better record by that metric.
- The Portuguese side are unbeaten in seven straight away Europa League matches (four wins, three draws).
- The club have kept clean sheets in six of their previous eight matches in this European competition.
- No more than two goals have been scored in seven of Sporting Clube de Braga's last eight Europa League games.
Referee
Nick Walsh (Scotland)
Matches – 10 (international matches, 2025/26);
Yellow cards shown (including second bookings) – 47;
Average yellow cards per match – 4.7;
Red cards shown – 0;
Fouls per match – 25;
Penalties – 40%.
Ferencvarosi Torna Club vs Sporting Clube de Braga: Match Prediction
Ferencvarosi Torna Club are traditionally dangerous in the final third, but they still lack balance between attack and defence. Despite a respectable scoring record, the club rarely manage to keep a clean sheet. As a result, both teams have scored in six of the Hungarians' last eight Europa League matches. If we look at the home numbers, both teams found the net in four of Ferencvarosi Torna Club's last five games in this competition.
Sporting Clube de Braga failed to score in their final game of the Europa League league phase, but for now it looks like a one-off slip-up. Before that, the team had scored in normal time in 11 straight European matches, including five away from home. At the same time, unlike their opponents, the Portuguese side rank among the tournament's most reliable clubs defensively. However, keeping a clean sheet in Budapest will be extremely difficult, given Ferencvarosi Torna Club's scoring run at home in the Europa League now stands at 10 matches.
Prediction: Both teams to score – Yes
* For each team, the starting XI shown is from their most recent match in this tournament.
