Braga seize initiative

Two free-kicks proved Sivasspor's undoing as SC Braga inflicted the Turkish club's first defeat in UEFA club competition.

Linz on the spot
Austria striker Roland Linz tucked away the rebound just before half-time after Luis Aghuiar's set-piece had been parried by Sivasspor goalkeeper Volkan Ünlü, whose night went from bad to worse in the second half when he fumbled another free-kick into the net. European debutants Sivasspor now need a significant recovery in the return leg if they are to deny Braga, who reached the UEFA Cup Round of 32 last season, a place in the second qualifying round of the same competition.

Tactical changes
Sivasspor tried to make the running in the first half but rarely troubled the Braga defence and it was the Portuguese club who went in at the break a goal up thanks to Linz. Bülent Uygun's second-half changes were unable to galvanise Sivasspor and they slipped further behind when a long-range free-kick from defender Moises slipped through the grasp of Volkan.

Expectations
Despite the defeat, Bülent Uygun is remaining upbeat ahead of the second leg in six days' time, saying: "No matter how good you play, sometimes mistakes cause you to lose the game. We have young players who are inexperienced and playing in Europe for the first time. Nevertheless, we were expecting a win not a loss, but we are not downcast about the return leg."