Braga open their Conference League league phase at Copenhagen on Thursday, 15 October
Braga play Copenhagen at the Parken on Thursday, 15 October, with kickoff at 20:00 Lisbon time, the first of six league-phase matches for the Portuguese side. Dutch referee Joey Kooij will take charge of the match.
Opening match in Copenhagen
Braga, the only Portuguese club in the competition, open their league phase at the Parken on Thursday, 15 October 2026, with kickoff at 20:00 Lisbon time. It is the sixth edition of the Conference League and Braga's first appearance in this stage. Dutch referee Joey Kooij will take charge. Both clubs have already published their starting lineups, with Braga's eleven including Bernardo Fontes, Ricardo Horta and Jonas Wind, and Copenhagen's including Diant Ramaj and Moha Elyounoussi. Portugal beat Denmark at the same stadium two weeks earlier in the Nations League.
How Braga reached the league phase
Braga came through two pre-qualifying rounds and a play-off to reach the league phase. In their six pre-qualifying games they recorded four wins and two draws, and they conceded no goals. Last season they were semifinalists in the Europa League. Braga will play six league-phase matches, and the top eight teams after them go straight to the round of 16. Teams placed from ninth to 24th contest a play-off for the next round, and the rest are eliminated. Braga are seeking their fifth European win of the 2026-27 season.
- Two rounds passed, with four wins and two draws in six games and no goals conceded
- Braga passed the play-off to reach the league phase
- Six matches, opening at Copenhagen on Thursday, 15 October 2026, 20:00 Lisbon time
Copenhagen and Braga's form
Copenhagen lead the Danish league and played in the Champions League last season, where they lost only one home game, 2-4 to Borussia Dortmund, and finished 31st in the league phase. Their coach Bo Svensson expects a tough match against a side that came close to the Europa League final last season. He attributed Braga's failure to reach the final to their semifinal second leg against Freiburg, when they were reduced to ten men almost from the start. Braga are ninth in the Primeira Liga on 11 points, with one game fewer played, after a 3-1 home defeat to Sporting. On the road they have won two of six games in all competitions, which has fed doubts about the trip to Denmark.
Squad news and the coach
Carlos Vicens, the Spanish coach, will be without defender Niakaté, who is injured, and he left winger Gabri Martínez out of the squad for personal reasons. Vicens named 24 players in total. Braga have also not repeated the same starting eleven from one game to the next this season, with roughly one change per sector each time, according to SAPO's preview. One preview calls the match the second matchday, while most sources describe it as the opening round, and this summary follows the majority.
Club backing and the next stage
Braga president António Salvador, speaking to media at Porto airport before the squad flew to Denmark, called for unity around the team. He reinforced the role of the coach and said Vicens' position is not in question. Finishing in the top eight would take Braga straight to the round of 16, while finishing between ninth and 24th would send them to a play-off.
