Braga club captain, Ricardo Horta, believes that his team has a real opportunity to try and win the Europa League, as they prepare to face Real Betis in the quarter-final.
Braga’s best ever run in the competition came back in 2011, when they reached the final in Dublin, but they were beaten 1-0 by Porto, courtesy of a Radamel Falcao strike right on the edge of half-time.
This is only the third occasion that Braga have reached this stage of the competition, losing to Rangers at this stage back in 2022.
Horta spoke about his team’s motivation for this fixture.
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Being prepared for the occasion
“We are very prepared and motivated to play in the stage of the Europa League. It is not every year that Braga ends up in this position, so we are very motivated for tomorrow.
“Facing Betis in the quarter-finals? We know Betis is a very competitive team; they are in fifth place in LaLiga, one of the most competitive leagues in the world, so all the ingredients are there for a great match tomorrow, and we want to show what type of quality we have.
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Horta believes Braga can win the competition.
“They are one of the favourites, just like us, and all of the other teams left in the competition. It will be a balanced game. We know Betis’ strengths; we know they have a lot of high-quality players, but we are well-prepared for that.
“Tomorrow we will show our quality and the club we represent.”
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Trying to repeat the achievement of 2011 by making the final
“Tomorrow’s game will be very competitive, we know the tie does not end tomorrow, since there is a second leg in Seville.
“Tomorrow, we want to give a strong response, and play a game by showing our identity, showing the quality that we have on the ball, and trying to get a good result in the second leg that will allow us to move on to the next round.”
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Betis’ tie ‘ a special moment for Braga
“We are putting all of our focus on this tie. It is a special moment for the club, and also for many players in our squad, a few of them have not played in the competition before, so reaching this stage creates a lot of excitement for everyone.
“After the group stage we had, and also the comeback against Ferencvaros, it gives us a lot of motivation and excitement for tomorrow’s game, so as I have said, I would like us to show who we are, and what type of quality we have.