When speaking to the Portuguese media before the weekend, SC Braga manager Carlos Carvalhal revealed he’d travel to Scotland to watch the match against Celtic on Sunday.
Braga are preparing to play Rangers in the Europa League this week, so it was definitely a great chance for the manager to watch their opponents giving their best just before the big tie.
Carvalhal’s trip was also another reason for the Portuguese press to watch the derby with attention, and today, many newspapers have stories about what happened at Ibrox.
Aaron Ramsey put Rangers ahead in the game, before goals from Tom Rogic and Cameron Carter-Vickers gave Celtic the away win.
As newspaper O Jogo analyses Celtic’s 2-1 victory, they point out that the manager saw Rangers’ ‘weaknesses’. There they highlight the defensive issues in Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side.
“Present in the stands of the Ibrox stadium, Carvalhal certainly took notes on the ease with which the greens and whites explored the back of Rangers defence in quick attacks,” O Jogo writes.
Braga and Rangers play the first leg of the Europa League’s quarter-finals on Thursday evening in Portugal.
Carvalhal, who’s already well known by the UK press following his work at Sheffield Wednesday and Swansea City, doesn’t hide his excitement about the tie, and has been doing his best to speak to them and make a fuss about it since the draw.
The way Celtic beat Rangers on Sunday has given the Portuguese media, and Carvalhal, added confidence ahead of the match.
