Team News
SC Braga
Manager Jorge Jesus was without his captain Paulo Jorge for this game; he has been out for the last 3 months with a thigh injury. Austrian striker Roland Linz was also injured. So it was in-form Cameroon striker Albert Meyong Ze, who scored a hat-trick in Braga?s first round tie, up front with Colombian Wason Renteria.
Portsmouth
Niko Kranjcar, Lassana Diarra, Younes Kaboul, Richard Hughes and Glen Johnson were all out for Portsmouth. So Noe Parmarot came in at right back, and Hermann Hreidarsson and Glen Little played either side of midfield.
Sean Davis was cleared to play after being sent off against Aston Villa at the weekend, and Harry Redknapp picked his first choice strikers Jermain Defoe and Peter Crouch up front.
First Half
Right from the start Luis Aguiar looked as if he would be giving Portsmouth a hard night. He took an early shot just two minutes in that went just wide, and 6 minutes later he grabbed the lead for the home side.
Papa Bouba Diop got booked for a foul, and David James stood no chance of saving Aguiar?s fantastic freekick. From 30 yards out he floated into the top corner to give Braga an early lead.
Portsmouth did react well to the goal. They settled themselves down and looked to find the equaliser but Braga players retained the ball and played it across the pitch superbly.
Glen Little made his first start of this European campaign for Portsmouth in this game. He started well but 22 minutes in he picked up an injury which forced Harry Redknapp into an early substitution. John Utaka coming in.
Seconds later Peter Crouch was booked for a late challenge which looked as if it could be two footed.
Portsmouth then pushed on and gave Braga keeper Eduardo a busy time for a couple of minutes. First Peter Crouch rose to flick on a David James kick out which put Jermaine Defoe with a good chance but Eduardo stood his ground and blocked the shot.
And it was Defoe again who found himself with space on the right. He tried to sneak it in at the near post, but Eduardo stretches across the goal to make a great save.
But just as Portsmouth looked to take hold of the game, Braga began to slow it down, keeping possession playing back and forth across the field.
Portsmouth struggled but continued to fire the ball up field with Crouch making himself a nuisance, and making the Braga defenders very unhappy with his movements.
But the first half finished with Braga leading at home. They kept a strong hold of the game, but Crouch and Portsmouth were causing some problem to them. That was not to last.
Second Half
At half time Nadir Belhadj came on for Hermann Hreidarsoon, yet before he even had time to settle in was 2-0 to Braga. It was Renteira with a fine turn and strike to crush Portsmouth so early in the second half.
10 minutes later the Colombian striker is booked after protesting to the referee. It was a needless card for Renteria.
Just before the hour Papa Bouba Diop headed the ball into the Braga goal only for the referee to blow for a free by the midfielder on keeper Eduardo. There was very little in it and Portsmouth could feel slightly hard done by.
Kanu came on to add more firepower to Portsmouth but by this point Braga had taken all the life out of this game. Portsmouth could do nothing; they simply couldn?t get the balls into the box with which Crouch causes havoc.
And Braga continued to create the better chances. Aguiar comes close again when a fabulous takes him past the Portsmouth backline but he shot wide.
The home side became more confident in their play and going into the last 10 minutes they began to push on more as Portsmouth could do nothing but give away free kicks in frustration. Bedhadj picked up a yellow card for a poor challenge on Vandinho.
Then Defoe got another chance but again he just couldn?t put it away. He got to a flick on the back post, but he fires his effort into side netting from a tight angle.
With 3 minutes left Alan made it 3-0 to Braga. Cesar made the right down the right and hit a low cross in, Sean Davis got a foot to it but could only hit it against the post and Alan was waiting to finish it off on the line.
Portsmouth were unlucky to go behind so early, and they had chances to be level at half time, but Braga were comfortable on the ball at all times, and their skill and finishing was too much for the away side.
Teams
SC Braga: Eduardo, Frechaut, Moises, Alberto Rodriguez, Dos Santos, Vandinho (Paulo Cesar 67?), Alan, Leite Nascimento (Cesar Peixoto 62?), Luis Aguiar, Wason Renteria (Stelvio 83?), Albert Meyong Ze.
Portsmouth: David James, Sol Campbell, Noe Pamarot, Armand Traore (Nwankwo Kanu 62?), Slyvain Distin, Sean Davis, Papa Bouba Diop, Hermann Hreidarsson (Nadir Belhadj 46?), Glen Little (John Utaka 22?), Jermaine Defoe, Peter Crouch.
SC Braga 3-0 Portsmouth
1-0 Luis Aguiar 8?
2-0 Wason Renteria 47?
3-0 Alan 87?
Booked
Portsmouth: Papa Bouba Diop, Peter Crouch, Noe Parmarot, Nadir Bedhadj
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