Solid Maritimo set to revel in home comforts again

Primera Liga
9pm Monday

Maritimo's strong start to the season has been based on an unbeaten home record and they can maintain it by beating Braga at Estadio dos Barreiros.

Portugal's big three of Sporting, Benfica and Porto are battling it out for the title but fourth-placed Braga and fifth-placed Maritimo are going well.

Braga have won nine of 13 league matches although only three of those successes have been on the road.

They have not won any of their last four road trips and lost 2-1 away to Turkish side Basaksehir in Thursday's Europa League clash.

Braga had already qualified for the group stage before their trip to Istanbul but most of their first-choice players were on duty and there may be a few tired legs in the camp.

Maritimo have not played since a 1-1 draw at second-bottom Moreirense nine days ago.

The result was a disappointment but it extended the Madeira outfit's unbeaten sequence to five and leaves them only four points behind Braga.

Maritimo's game is based on a solid defensive foundation which has allowed them to be competitive in the biggest games.

They drew 0-0 away to Sporting in a Portuguese League Cup clash in September and shared the points in a 1-1 draw at home to Benfica in October.

Offensively they have room for improvement, having scored just 14 goals in 13 league games.

But their Brazilian striker Rodrigo Pinho is going through a decent spell, scoring six goals in his last ten appearances, and looks a likely matchwinner.

Maritimo have turned their Funchal home into something of a fortress, winning 15 of 24 home league games since the start of last season, and they may just get the better of Braga in a close match.

Recommendation
Maritimo
1pt 12-5 Betfred

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