It is matchday two in the UEFA Europa League and Braga are on the hunt for their first win following a 2-1 defeat away in Belgrade. Their opponents tonight are Danish side FC Midtjylland. We reached out to the Danish football specialists at Vilfortpark.dk to get the lowdown on what Carlos Carvalhal and his men can expect tonight.
FC Midtjylland delivered a disappointing performance in their opening match of the group stage, drawing 1-1 with Bulgarian side Ludogorets. Despite that poor result, Brian Priske’s troops have been in stellar form this season. They are currently leading the Danish Superliga and are on a five-game undefeated streak in all competitions.
They have the second most shots and shots on target in the league, and they have six clean sheets in their last eight games.
Not everything is great in Herning though. Despite playing good football and creating plenty of chances, FCM lacks a lethal striker. They have underperformed in terms of xG with 17 goals from an xG of 18 and the team’s top scorer this season Júnior Brumado, has just three goals in eight matches. Brumado is a physically gifted striker, but he isn’t on the level needed for these big European fixtures. This has been proven on several occasions when FCM has faced tough opponents. There are a lot of creative players in the squad, but there is simply no goal-getter, and the fact that Brumado is playing regularly says a lot about that issue.
Unless you are a follower of Danish football, or an avid fan of the Football Manager series, it’s unlikely that you will be familiar with the majority of the Midtjylland squad, however, a player most people will know is Pione Sisto from his time with Celta Vigo. The 26-year-old winger returned to Midtjylland last summer, and despite some personal issues from time to time, he is by far the biggest star on the team.
Sisto is an influential player who has the talent to take over and dominate games at this level. He can both setup his teammates in open play as well as from set pieces, but he can also score himself with his powerful right foot. He is the kind of player, who grows when the stage is the biggest, and the Braga players will need to keep a close eye on him at all times tonight.
A big thanks to Vilfortpark.dk for providing us with this great insight, for all things Danish football, be sure to give them a visit!
