Photo by Octavio Passos/Getty Images
When Real Madrid played SC Braga last month, the game was far from as one-sided as many imagined. The Portuguese opponents were inexperienced to the big stage, but they showed no fear while facing the defending champs.
Braga pushed Real Madrid to their maximum, resulting in a greater xG total. Notably, they were without one of their main cogs, Victor Gomez, on the night.
This season, the Spanish defender has made eight starts for Braga in Liga Portugal, although he sustained an injury late in September that kept him out for more than a month. He is now back in the team and will play Real Madrid in the rematch later tonight.
Gomez lauded Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr. and the danger he presented in the game before of the clash against Carlo Ancelotti’s side.
“Vincius is a fantastic player.” He expects you to give him your all. He will attempt to take you on every time he possesses the ball. We must work as a team to ensure that these events occur as seldom as possible.”
“Everyone has their own game.” “I’ll try to adjust my game so that I can cover him as well as possible,” he said of his plans to mitigate the Brazilian’s influence.
The defender also remarked about the unique event that awaited him, since he is returning to his home nation and playing in what is perhaps the country’s largest stadium.
“It is true that this match is significant for me since I am in Spain. The crew is well aware of their responsibilities. “We’re coming in with a lot of motivation to win this game,” he remarked.
Finally, the Braga defender shared his thoughts on how the team would approach the game against Los Blancos, adding,
“We respect Real Madrid and they respect us.” The Portuguese league has developed significantly in recent years, and Braga has grown even more. It’s great that they respect us, and we must respect them in return.”
