Braga edged Dynamo Minsk 1-0 in the UEFA Conference League third qualifying round on Wednesday. The Portuguese side held their nerve in the closing stages to book their place in the next phase. R. Horta struck from the spot just before half-time to settle what had been a cagey affair. And here's the thing — it wasn't the cleanest display, but qualification matters most.
The penalty came in the 45th minute after Dynamo's F. Abdullahi had already picked up a yellow card in the 20th. Horta stepped up and made no mistake, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way. The hosts then brought on Gabriel Silva and L. Gweth at the 46th-minute break, looking to see out the remainder comfortably. Dynamo pushed for an equaliser but Braga's shape held firm.
Substitutions followed as the game wore on. A. Zhechko came on for Dynamo at 62 minutes, while E. Malashevich was booked in the 70th before being replaced himself. J. Moutinho and P. Victor joined Braga's lineup, and K. Vardanyan saw yellow in the 86th minute. The visitors had nothing to do all evening after that penalty, their attacks lacking the sharpness to trouble the visitors.
The statistics told the story of dominance. Braga controlled 73 per cent of possession and registered 98 attacks compared to Dynamo's 55. They had ten corners to one, and three shots on target — though only one found the net. Dynamo managed just a single shot on goal, with accuracy at 33 per cent. To be fair, they limited the damage where it counted.
What this means for Braga is simple: another round to navigate in Europe. Dynamo Minsk's European campaign ends here, after a mixed run of results in recent fixtures. The hosts had won their last two against Železničar Panevo, but this was a tighter contest than those results suggested. By then, the penalty had already decided everything worth knowing.
