Champions League: Napoli have a chance to qualify, Braga face a backdrop

Champions League: Napoli vs Braga

At 4:00 a.m. Beijing time on December 13, 2023, in Group C of the Champions League group stage, Napoli will face Braga at home. Napoli's performance this season is clearly lacking, in the league, after 15 rounds, with 7 wins, 3 draws and 5 losses, ranking 7th in the league with 24 points, it can be seen that the defending champions have been squeezed out of the European zone. In the Champions League group stage, Napoli has achieved 2 wins, 1 draw and 2 losses after 5 rounds, ranking second in Group C with 7 points, but because it is only 3 points higher than Braga behind him, in the case of the final round of the group stage, the team's qualification has not yet been pocketed, and there is still a risk of going out.

Napoli have been in poor form of late, suffering three defeats in a row and having been kept clean sheets by Juventus and Inter Milan in their last two games. The team had 67 per cent possession and 1 of 13 shots on target against the Old Lady last weekend, and after being breached by their opponents, the team's forward line continued to fail and eventually lost 1-0. In terms of the squad, Mario Rui, Oliveira and Scargaste are injured and may miss the game.

Braga are a powerhouse in the Portuguese Super League, having squeezed Sporting Lisbon behind them last season to qualify for a Champions League play-off in third place, where they eliminated Greek side Panathinaikos to reach the group stage. In the Champions League group stage, Braga's performance is average, after 5 rounds, achieved 1 win, 1 draw and 3 losses, ranking 3rd in Group C with 4 points, 3 points away from Napoli in front of him, and lost 1-2 in the first leg.

Braga have been relatively stable this season, with 9 wins, 2 draws and 2 losses after 13 rounds of matches, ranking 4th in the league with 29 points, just one point behind Benfica. Braga have been in excellent form of late, unbeaten in five consecutive matches in all competitions, and have won their last two by a wide margin. In terms of line-up, centre-back Nikat was suspended for this game after being shown a red card in the Champions League group stage against Union Berlin.

In terms of past meetings between the two teams, Napoli have won both of them against Braga, and their record is dominant. In terms of recent form, Napoli have been in a slump of late, losing three games in a row, while Braga have been the opposite, unbeaten in five games and winning their last two in a row. Judging from the current attitude of all parties, the home team has been given a certain amount of support, combined with the strength and recent situation of both sides, Napoli is still expected to win all 3 points in this game.