Braga vs Nottingham Forest prediction 22.01.2026 | Europa League

Braga have established themselves as Portugal's fourth-strongest team in recent seasons, and that status shouldn't dramatically change this year. In the Europa League, Braga are also doing well with 13 points from six rounds and should have a very good chance of qualifying directly for the 1/8 final. However, it seems Vicens' team has slowed down recently, with only two victories in the previous six games across all competitions. In the most recent outing, Braga won 1-0 on the road against Tondela. The home side arguably did enough to deserve at least a point, but Braga converted a stoppage-time penalty to snatch all three points.

Braga are active in the January transfer window. They have already loaned Samy Jr. Merheg (from Pereira) and Adrian Leon Barisic (Basel), and now the Turkish media reports that Braga have also completed the deal for defensive midfielder Demir Ege Tiknaz from Besiktas. The youngster will travel to Braga and undergo the medical examination before signing the official contract. 

Braga have almost a full squad available for Thursday's game against Nottingham Forest. Only Amani El Ouazzani and Rodrigo Zalazar should skip the upcoming clash. 

The 2025/26 season is a big disappointment for Nottingham Forest. They expected another top-half season, but instead, the Forest are in the relegation battle with five points more than the drop zone. In the Europa League, things are significantly brighter, as Nottingham Forest collected 11 points in five matches and could even hope for a place among the best eight teams in the competition. 

Nottingham Forest struggled lately, with only one victory in the last seven matches. In the previous game, they played 0-0 at home against Arsenal. The home side was fortunate to avoid defeat as the guests dominated throughout the game. 

According to reports, Nottingham Forest's first signing this January will be Lorenzo Lucca. The player spent the last six months on loan to Napoli from Udinese, but failed to establish himself in the team and should move to England. The forward scored only two goals across all competitions this season. We should expect more transfer moves from Nottingham Forest in the coming ten days.