UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
2010/11 SEASON
MATCH PRESS KIT
SC Braga Arsenal FC
Group H - Matchday 5
Estádio Municipal de Braga, Braga
Tuesday 23 November 2010
20.45CET (19.45 local time)
Previous meetings
Head to Head
UEFA Champions League
Date: 9/15/10
Stage: GS
Match: Arsenal FC- SC Braga
Result: 6-0
Venue: London
Goalscorers:
Chamakh 34, Vela 69, 84
Match background
SC Braga were on the receiving end of a 6-0 defeat when their debut UEFA Champions League campaign began away to Arsenal FC on 15 September. The return fixture provides the opportunity for the Portuguese team, who have revived their Group H challenge with two successive wins, to demonstrate they have learned from that chastening experience.
• It could scarcely have been a tougher introduction to the UEFA Champions League for Braga on Matchday 1 as Cesc Fàbregas scored twice, the first a penalty after only nine minutes, with Andrey Arshavin and Marouane Chamakh adding further goals before half-time. Substitute Carlos Vela struck two more late on as Arsenal launched their 13th UEFA Champions League campaign in spectacular fashion.
• That was the first of three successive wins for the Gunners, although their momentum was checked at FC Shakhtar Donetsk on Matchday 4. Braga began with two defeats, but home and away victories against bottom side FK Partizan have brought them right back into contention.
Previous meetings
• While Matchday 1 was the first meeting between the clubs, Arsenal have faced Portuguese opposition on four previous occasions away from home and never been victorious. They have lost in Portugal in the last two UEFA Champions League campaigns, FC Porto beating them 2-1 in last season's round of 16 and 2-0 in the group stage a year earlier, and returned home with draws on two earlier occasions.
• Braga were successful when they last hosted opponents from England – beating Portsmouth FC 3-0 in the 2008/09 UEFA Cup group stage with Luis Aguiar and Alan scoring the first and third goals respectively.
• Braga's three earlier home games against English clubs all ended in defeat, however, Arsenal's north London neighbours Tottenham Hotspur FC winning 3-2 in the UEFA Cup round of 16 in March 2006 and 3-0 in the first round first leg of the same competition in 1984/85.
• Indeed that Portsmouth success is Braga's only win in nine previous matches against English teams, with seven defeats.
Match background
• Braga followed up their defeat at the Arsenal Stadium with a 3-0 home defeat by Shakhtar. Their wait for their first UEFA Champions League points ended on 19 October when a Lima free-kick and an added-time goal from Matheus earned a 2-0 win against Partizan, who were then beaten in Belgrade thanks to a fine Moisés header in the 35th minute.
• Arsenal had lost their previous three UEFA Champions League away games before the visit to Partizan on Matchday 2, when goals from Arshavin – who later missed a penalty – Chamakh and Sébastien Squillaci steered them to a 3-1 victory.
• The Gunners' scintillating home form continued with a 5-1 dismantling of Shakhtar on Matchday 3, although the roles were reversed two weeks later as the Gunners let slip a one-goal lead, their former striker Eduardo ending their perfect start and inflicting a 2-1 loss.
• Arsenal have not failed to progress beyond the initial group stage in the last ten seasons. In the last three years they have made it through to the quarter-finals or better.
Team ties
• When, in 1921, Braga changed their team shirts from two large green and white vertical stripes, they took Arsenal's red-and-white colours as their inspiration. Since then they have been known as Minho's Arsenalistas (Arsenal from Minho).
• Hugo Viana was a late substitute as Newcastle United FC drew 0-0 at home to Arsenal on 11 April 2004. He also appeared in a 1-0 loss at Highbury the previous season.
Braga
UEFA milestones
• Braga have scored 95 goals in UEFA competition.
UEFA Champions League statistics
• Braga have won ten corners, the lowest total in the competition.
Latest domestic information
• Braga's Portuguese Cup fourth round fixture at SL Benfica, scheduled for 20 November, was postponed due to the NATO summit which took place in Lisbon on 19 and 20 November. The tie will now be held on 12 December.
• After 11 Liga games Braga have 14 points, exactly half what they had at the same stage last season when they were top of the table.
• Braga have lost eight times in all competitions this season, one more than in the whole of last term.
• Braga have kept two clean sheets in 11 league outings this season – they averaged one every two games last term, conceding just 20 goals all campaign.
• Braga suffered their first home league defeat under Domingos Paciência on 7 November, going down 3-2 against SC Beira-Mar. It was the side's first top-flight loss at the Municipal Stadium since a 3-1 reverse against Benfica on 17 May 2009.
• Paciência has nonetheless overseen 18 wins in 20 home league games since taking the helm – A. Naval 1º Maio were the only other team to take points off them at the Municipal Stadium, drawing 0-0 on 13 December 2009.
• Aníbal Capela was handed his Liga debut against Beira-Mar; Custódio made his first league appearance for the club.
• On 13 November Braga lost 2-1 at Vitória SC, finishing the game with ten men after Alan – who had scored their goal – was sent off (45).
Injury news
• Paulão has not played since sustaining a thigh problem against SC Olhanense on 23 October.
• Quim ruptured his right Achilles tendon in pre-season training and is expected to be out until the new year.
International duty
• No Braga players were in international action last week.
Arsenal
UEFA milestones
• Arsenal's defeat at FC Shakhtar Donetsk was their 50th in UEFA competition.
UEFA Champions League statistics
Latest domestic information
•
(Nasri 9, Chamakh 27; Bale 50, Van der Vaart 67pen, Kaboul 85)
• Arsenal let slip a two-goal lead to lose at home to north London rivals Tottenham for the first time since 1993. The Gunners have lost successive home league games for the first time since 1997.
• Eight of the 15 Premier League goals Arsenal have conceded this season have come in the final 15 minutes of either half, and none in the first 15 minutes. Indeed, they have conceded only once in the first half-hour.
• The Gunners have won four of their last five away matches in all competitions, the exception being their Matchday 4 defeat at Shakhtar.
• Bacary Sagna opened the scoring in Arsenal's 2-1 win at Everton FC on 14 November, his first goal since 23 March 2008.
Injury news
• Thomas Vermaelen has not played since 7 September due to an Achilles problem. He suffered a relapse of the injury in training on 8 November.
• Arsenal's injury list also includes Manuel Almunia (elbow, out since 25 September), Abou Diaby (ankle, 16 October) and Nicklas Bendtner (groin, 10 November).
• Alex Song has four goals to his name this term – he scored just once in 50 outings for club and country last season.
• Arsène Wenger's side's run of three successive clean sheets was ended at Shakhtar; they have managed only one in four games since.
• Arsenal will host Wigan Athletic FC in the League Cup quarter-finals on 30 November.
Saturday 20 November: Arsenal FC 2-3 Tottenham Hotspur FCFabiański; Sagna, Squillaci, Koscielny, Clichy; Song, Denilson, Fàbregas; Nasri (Rosický 77), Arshavin (Walcott 77), Chamakh (Van Persie 68)
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