- Dinamo Minsk have won two and lost three of their last five matches.
- SC Braga have won four and drawn one of their last five in all competitions.
- Dinamo Minsk have averaged 2.10 goals per game across their last 10 in all competitions.
Compact Dinamo have to be clever
In all probability, SC Braga will control this tie and nick it, but the odds and the low-scoring signals suggest Thursday's match will be cagey once more. Dinamo Minsk have to be sharp to finish off the chances they create.
Braga are rightful 11/25 favourites to win this clash in Beroe, Bulgaria, but Dinamo are not a side you would feel safe with at those odds in any contest unless there was more than a single goal in the game. Dinamo are 57/10, which is decent enough, and the draw at 69/20 is a little too high, in our view.
Aleksandr Shagoyko has Dinamo sitting deep and compact in a 4-2-3-1 system that allows them to have a counter-attacking threat without losing discipline. If Braga can get the ball wide and stretch the opposition, they should win, but Dinamo can do some damage on the break if they play with enough tempo and precision in the final third.
Braga's superior rhythm should show
Braga, who are on a three-match winning streak, have a much better rhythm than Dinamo, who have lost their last two - to PFC Neftchi Baku (0-1) and Braga (0-1). Zeleznicar Pancevo and Dinamo Minsk were Braga's two most recent opponents and the Portuguese side looked in good nick in both victories.
Carlos Vicens has instilled a fluid, possession-based model on the team in the few weeks he has been in charge. Their overloads and rotational moves have been working well and it would not be surprising if the extra dynamism Braga generate took them past a defensively-minded opponent like Dinamo on Thursday.
However, Braga can lose rhythm if they try to push Dinamo back too quickly and we are expecting a similar pattern. The Belarussians know they need to be more precise with their final ball on Thursday and we are taking Braga to nick it in a game that is unlikely to be open enough for Dinamo to get more than a consolation strike.
Braga's in-form Horta can be a threat
With Braga's form and the 1-0 head-to-head advantage, our top pick has to be the 1-0 victory. The side have enough attacking quality to get on the scoresheet - Evgeni Malashevich leads Dinamo Minsk's goal charts in UEFA Conference League Qualification 2026 with two in five appearances and has also scored two of his last five goals for the club - but we're taking Braga to be better in the counter-pressing game.
Ricardo Horta, with three in three in UEFA Conference League Qualification 2026, is the danger man and has scored three of his side's last eight in all competitions. The Under 2.5 goals bet at 23/20 and Both Teams to Score - No at 87/100 seem too high for a game that will feature the same two teams as last week's 1-0 Braga win.
