The 2023/24 edition of the I Liga will end with a high-intensity match. Sporting de Braga and FC Porto will fight this Saturday for third place in the championship, in a duel that ends the Portuguese championship this season. In Minho, the blue and whites defend the third place with which they enter this last battle. The dragons have one more point than the arsenalists, which will immediately guarantee them a presence in the group stage of next season's Europa League, throwing the bracarenses into the preliminary rounds. If Sporting de Braga wins the match and throws FC Porto off the podium, something that has not happened in decades, the minhotos will only be able to go to the group stage of the second European competition if, after the Portuguese Cup final, Sporting defeats FC Porto. FC Porto already knows that it will not be able to count on Sérgio Conceição on the bench, since the coach is serving a suspension after having seen a yellow card in the reception to Boavista, the fifth that was shown to him in the competition. Therefore, an intense duel is expected at the Braga Municipal Stadium, a place where FC Porto has not won points since 2019. The duel between bracarenses and minhotos will take place from 8:30 pm this Saturday and will be refereed by Nuno Almeida.

Coaches in direct speech

Rui Duarte

State of mind: "We left Guimarães [2-1 triumph, in the previous round, with the second goal coming in stoppage time by Rony Lopes] with a feeling of power and ability [very great], so if we cannot achieve it after everything we have done, it is a frustration, obviously yes. I would like to end up giving this prize to everyone, especially the players, members, staff and administration. We will fight to make it happen, we cannot be afraid."

Expectations: "It is an all-or-nothing game for us. We fought a lot to reach the last game with the possibility of fighting for third place and we have to leave everything on the field until the last drop of sweat."

FC Porto: "It is a very strong team, it plays in any stadium with a very strong identity, based on what its coach is."

Sérgio Conceição

Last victory in Braga dates back to 2019: "If we look at the game by game, we will see that there were incidents that led to this happening. I remember a player who kicked the goal when we were winning 2-0 and we ended up drawing 2-2. The games all have their history. In Braga it has been within that. In the championship where we have the record of points, 91 points, it was also the only game we lost and things did not go well for a third team in that game either. The games are all different, they have their history. I base myself on work, I do not cling to statistics and the past. We have to look exclusively at what we have for tomorrow and for the team that will be able to play. Rui may have a more offensive team, perhaps not so much initially. It is our job, and not what happened. That does not worry us and does not enter the preparation of the game."

Rui Duarte's words in the last game: "At FC Porto we always play finals. The games are all to be won, regardless of the competition and the moment of the season. The games are always to win three points. A draw is enough for FC Porto to guarantee third place and the finals cannot end in a draw. It is a game that decides 3rd place, we are aware of that. It is not that we are more or less motivated depending on whether we are fighting, as we usually do, for first place. The motivation is typical of a football match. We want to stay one place above what we could be if we don't win."

How do you think the game will be resolved? "Collective performance is more important. If that performance is good, the individualities come out here. Then it is to wait for a moment of great talent from these players. It's over there."

Latest results:

Sporting de Braga: W-W-W-W-W

FC Porto: W-W-D-W-W

Last eleven

Sporting de Braga: Matheus Magalhães, Víctor Gómez, Sikou Niakaté, José Fonte, Cristián Borja, Pizzi, João Moutinho, Rodrigo Zalazar, Ricardo Horta, Bruma, Abel Ruiz.

FC Porto: Diogo Costa, Martim Fernandes, Otávio Ataíde, Zé Pedro, Wendell, Nico González, Alan Varela, Francisco Conceição, Pepê, Wenderson Galeno, Evanilson

Absences

Sporting de Braga: (-)

FC Porto: Pepe, Zaidu and Marcano (injured).

Read Also: From the "crazy" to leave to the "ringed". Sérgio Conceição rejects "final" (Portuguese version)