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Braga v İstanbul Başakşehir background

Braga are on a four-game UEFA winning streak coming into their Group C meeting with İstanbul Başakşehir, who have yet to win a European away game.

Dyego Sousa celebrates a Braga goal at Hoffenheim
Dyego Sousa celebrates a Braga goal at Hoffenheim ©Getty Images

Braga are on a four-game UEFA Europa League winning streak coming into their Group C meeting with İstanbul Başakşehir, who have yet to win a European game away from home.

Previous meetings
• The sides are meeting for the first time, and it is Başakşehir's maiden encounter with Portuguese opponents.

• Braga have had the better of their ten previous meetings with Turkish clubs: W6 D1 L3 (W3 L2 in Braga). They have beaten Turkish opposition at home in each of the past two UEFA Europa League campaigns: Fenerbahçe 4-1 in 2015/16 and Konyaspor 3-1 last season.

Highlights: Hoffenheim v Braga

Form guide
• A 2-1 success at Hoffenheim on matchday one extended Braga's European winning streak to four games.

• Braga have scored two or more goals in seven of their last eight UEFA games, but have gone 17 fixtures without a European clean sheet.

• Başakşehir have yet to win in five European away games (D3 L2) or keep a clean sheet in a UEFA away fixture, conceding at least two goals in each encounter.

• Fifth in Portugal last term, and runners-up in the 2010/11 UEFA Europa League, Braga are competing in the group stage for the third season in succession.

• Beaten by Sevilla in the UEFA Champions League play-offs, Başakşehir are making their UEFA group stage debut this season.

Highlights: Istanbul Başakşehir v Ludogorets

Links and trivia
• The journey from Istanbul to Braga is around 3,100km.

• Başakşehir's Mossoró was a Braga player from 2008–13, and featured in their 2010/11 UEFA Europa League final defeat to Porto.

• Başakşehir's other Brazilian player Júnior Caiçara also played in Portugal for Gil Vicente (2010–12)

• Braga's Bruno Viana and Başakşehir's one-time Portugal youth international Manuel da Costa were team-mates at Olympiacos (2016–17) up until this summer.

The coaches
• At the helm since April 2017, Abel Ferreira was previously Braga's B team coach. A right-back, he graduated from home-town side Penafiel to Vitória Guimarães, Braga and Sporting CP, where he won two Portuguese Cups before retiring in 2011.

• Abdullah Avcı led Turkey to success in the 2005 UEFA European Under-17 Championship before taking charge of Başakşehir for the first time from 2006–11. He returned in 2014 following an unsuccessful stint as Turkey coach.