Braga Crush Casa Pia 4-0, Ending Skid and Reigniting Europa Chase

Braga supporters went home smiling again after watching their team deliver a commanding four-goal statement that not only halted a winless slide but also rekindled hopes of a European push. Casa Pia, by contrast, never recovered from a disastrous opening ten minutes and drift further toward the wrong end of the Liga Portugal Betclic table.

A night that broke the drought

The Estádio Municipal had not celebrated a league victory since mid-August, so the roar that greeted the final whistle felt cathartic. Sporting de Braga ended an eight-match barren run by brushing aside a Casa Pia side that looked shell-shocked from the outset. The result lifts the guerreiros do Minho to 7th place with 13 points, tightening a mid-table pack that has half an eye on the continental spots. In Liga Portugal, the top five finishers normally qualify for Europe, so every point already feels precious.

Goals come early, worries vanish

The tone was set inside three minutes when Ricardo Horta pounced on his own rebound to open the scoring. Barely had the celebrations subsided when veteran centre-back José Fonte climbed highest to nod in a free-kick for 2-0. With the autumn drizzle still settling over the valley, Casa Pia already looked beaten. After the interval, Álvaro Djaló capped a sweeping counter-attack and, moments later, Rodrigo Zalazar converted a penalty he had helped earn, completing the 4-0 rout before the hour mark. Braga’s front line kept probing until the end, yet the scoreline never felt in doubt.

Tactical tweaks pay off

Head coach Artur Jorge resisted a full-scale overhaul during the recent slump; instead he refined a flexible back-three-to-four system that morphs in possession. On Sunday the pivot was right-back Víctor Gómez, repeatedly overloading the flank while Zalazar dropped between the lines to drag markers. That movement opened lanes for Djaló to attack centrally. Set-pieces, a point of emphasis during the week, produced two of the night’s goals and showcased Braga’s renewed sharpness on dead-ball situations.

Casa Pia’s hard lesson

Filipe Martins travelled north preaching compactness with a five-man defence, but early lapses at the near post and on set pieces undid the game plan. The coach admitted afterward that it was a “day to forget,” citing poor reactions after the first goal and “avoidable” errors on both dead-ball concessions. Casa Pia are now four matches without victory, marooned in 14th place on 8 points, and must quickly address their fragile confidence.

What it means for the table

With just five points separating 4th from 10th, every result is amplified. Braga’s goal difference also received a healthy boost, an often-overlooked tiebreaker that has tilted European races in past seasons. Should the Minho club maintain Sunday’s tempo, the fight for the last UEFA berth could run through their hillside stadium once again. Casa Pia, meanwhile, hover uncomfortably close to the red zone and cannot afford the current trend to become a habit.

Ahead: Porto test looms

There is little time for Braga to bask in the glow; a daunting trip to the Estádio do Dragão awaits next weekend. Porto’s home form is historically formidable, yet Artur Jorge can take heart from the renewed cohesion on display. For Casa Pia, a home fixture against fellow strugglers Estrela da Amadora now feels season-defining. Three points there would steady the ship; another defeat could drag them into a relegation dogfight before winter arrives.

Voices from the pitch

“We treated every duel like a final,” Zalazar told reporters while clutching the man-of-the-match trophy. Artur Jorge echoed the sentiment, praising his squad’s “serious attitude from the first whistle” and revealing that top-scorer Simon Banza was rested to “manage legs” ahead of the Porto clash. Across the corridor, Martins accepted responsibility for the loss, promising supporters that the squad will “review the two set-piece goals frame by frame” in training. The contrasting moods encapsulated a night where Braga rediscovered their swagger and Casa Pia gained hard evidence of the work ahead.