Braga back into second spot after beating Gil Vicente 1-0 in Barcelos | OneFootball

Braga reclaimed second spot in the Primeira Liga after a deserved 1-0 win against Gil Vicente. The Warriors dominated the match in Barcelos with Vitinha denied by Stanislav Kritsyuk on three occasions.

The in-form striker would play a part in the breakthrough however, setting up Iuri Medeiros who scored the decisive goal in the 67th minute.

The result sees Ivo Vieira’s side slump to a fourth straight league defeat, unable to climb out of the relegation play-off position.

Braga boss it

Gil Vicente couldn’t touch the ball early on let alone get out of their own half. Abel Ruiz saw his shot blocked before Braga created a golden opportunity in the 10th minute.

Murilo Souza lost possession in a dangerous position, Iuri Medeiros releasing Vitinha who took too long to shoot which gave Stanislav Kritsyuk time to come off his line and smother the attempt.

Henrique Gomes headed Matheus Bueno’s free kick over the bar and Fran Navarro was making promising runs up front, but chances were proving hard to come by for the hosts.

Nuno Sequeira was replaced by Paulo Oliveira at the break which saw Sikou Niakaté move to left-back.

Gil Vicente started the second half strong, finally calling Matheus into action in the 50th minute when he saved Murilo de Souza’s shot. The optimism was short lived however, Braga immediately getting back on the front foot.

Abel Ruiz did a great job to send Vitinha clear, the in-form striker holding off Lucas Cunha before being denied by Kritsyuk who made another important save.

Medeiros narrowly missed the top corner with curling effort before Fabiano was next to release Vitinha, Kritsyuk sensing the danger and making a vital interception.

Artur Jorge introduced Simon Banza for Ruiz in the 56th minute before Braga got some respite from the VAR after Vítor Tormena handled the ball in the area.

The chances kept coming for Braga with Ricardo Horta’s drive from distance tipped over the bar by the increasingly busy Kritsyuk.

Kritsyuk finally beaten

The Russian goalkeeper was unable to keep bailing his side out of trouble, the Warriors finally making the breakthrough in the 67th minute.

A quick free kick saw Vitinha get to the byline and pick out Medeiros, the winger stepping inside Henrique Gomes and drilling the ball past Kritsyuk and into the net.

Jorge immediately replaced André Horta and Vitinha with Uroš Račić and Rodrigo Gomes.

Ivo Vieira emptied his bench, Carraça replacing Danilo Veiga and going desperately close to equalising in added time. His powerful volley was goal bound, Matheus producing a sensational fingertip save to preserve the victory.

Braga bounce back

Braga have had a challenging run of fixtures, the short journey to Barcelos their fifth consecutive game on the road. That run included trips to Union Saint-Gilloise and Union Berlin in the Europa League where thy slipped to third in Group D.

Artur Jorge’s side did well to overcome any fatigue concerns and earn a deserved win that takes them to second spot in the Primeira Liga. They will be happy to return to the Quarry where they host Malmö, Casa Pia and Moreirense in the space of eight days.

Ivo Vieira on shaky ground

Ivo Vieira’s side have now lost four straight games in the Primeira Liga where they occupy the relegation play-off position. They continue to be over reliant on Fran Navarro who has scored six of their nine league goals.

Vieria understood the importance of the match, saying: “It's a motivating game, it's a derby, and we have to take advantage of it to get a different result”.

In the end it was yet another defeat, Gil Vicente’s only two league wins this season coming against Paços de Ferreira and Marítimo.

The Gilistas remain in Barcelos for their next two matches, hosting Portimonense in the Primeira Liga and Arouca in the Taça de Portugal. Two more defeats could bring Vieira’s tenure to an early end.

By at Estádio Cidade de Barcelos