Braga Secures Victory Over Maccabi Tel Aviv in Europa League Clash

Sporting Braga emerged victoriously against Maccabi Tel Aviv in a tense UEFA Europa League match with a 2-1 win at the Braga Municipal Stadium. The Portuguese team clinched their first three points in the group stage of the competition, marking a comeback triumph against the visiting Israeli side.

Braga’s performance was headlined by a dramatic double from Bruma, who was pivotal in overturning an early lead established by Maccabi. In the 29th minute, Osher Davida opened the scoring for the visitors with a penalty, after a foul by Braga’s goalkeeper Matheus.

The momentum shifted in the second half when Bruma managed to equalize in the 87th minute, capitalizing on a perfect setup by Paraguayan forward Roberto Fernández. The tense match saw multiple yellow cards distributed, with significant bookings for Tyrese Asante and Gabi Kanichowsky, both of whom received red cards later in the match following double yellow offenses.

In the closing minutes, Bruma sealed the victory with a penalty conversion in the 94th minute, after a handball infringement by Raz Shlomo in the penalty area was confirmed by VAR.

The victory leaves Braga optimistic as they prepare to return to domestic duties, having faced challenges maintaining consistency in the Portuguese league under manager Carlos Carvalhal. Meanwhile, Maccabi Tel Aviv’s manager, Žarko Lazetić, will be looking to regroup his squad, who have otherwise been in excellent form domestically, unbeaten in the Israeli league.

The officiating team from Slovenia, led by Matej Jug, maintained a firm control of the match, which saw tensions and physicality characteristic of important European fixtures.

This match marked the first official competition meeting between Braga and Maccabi Tel Aviv, setting the stage for potentially more encounters in the future as both teams continue their European campaigns.