Sean Dyche, the head coach of Nottingham Forest, recently shared his insights on the upcoming match against Sporting de Braga, emphasizing the Portuguese team’s strong tactical approach. “We don’t see things this way. Braga is very valuable, and their coach has experience working with Pep Guardiola. We are prepared to approach this game with our mentality and an organized strategy to potentially secure a victory,” Dyche stated.
He considers Braga as a team that predominantly retains possession but notes their adaptability. “They are not naive, which is expected from a coach with Guardiola’s background. I know they can change their style according to the game and can play deeper when necessary,” he added.
Nottingham Forest is in a competitive race for direct qualification to the knockout stages of the tournament, needing crucial points from their matches against Braga and Ferencvaros, the latter of which will take place at home on January 29. Dyche acknowledged the team’s recent progress, saying, “I cannot control what happened before, but since I took over from Nuno Espírito Santo, we have been on our path, accumulating points. We do not consider any of these matches guaranteed; they must be approached seriously. Ideally, we want to advance, but it is complicated. We need to maintain our momentum, and our goal is to win tomorrow.”
However, he revealed a last-minute setback, announcing that forward Igor Jesus, who started in the recent scoreless draw against Arsenal, will not be available for the match.
Meanwhile, midfielder Ryan Yates praised Sporting de Braga, calling them a side brimming with quality and technical players. He particularly highlighted João Moutinho, recalling their encounters: “I played against him at Wolverhampton and swapped jerseys with him.”
Currently, Nottingham Forest sits in 11th place with 11 points, just two points behind Braga, who are in 7th place. The matchup will kick off at 20:00 on Thursday at the Estádio Municipal de Braga, officiated by Croatian referee Igor Pajac. The match promises to be a significant encounter for both sides as they vie for important points in the competition.