Braga, Portugal, May 16, 2026, 18:08 WEST
- Estrela da Amadora went into the last round sitting 15th—tied on points with Casa Pia, just a point above Tondela.
- Estrela secure their top-flight status with a victory at SC Braga, making other results irrelevant.
- Braga had fourth place wrapped up, but Carlos Vicens insisted his squad still aimed to finish the season before their home crowd with “a sweet taste.”
Estrela da Amadora, sitting 15th with 29 points, faced their moment of truth in the final Liga Portugal round on Saturday at SC Braga. Cristiano Bacci’s squad knew survival was in their own hands heading into the 18:00 kickoff at Estádio Municipal de Braga.
Four clubs locked in a relegation fight, nerves raw. According to Record, Nacional stood at 31 points, while Estrela and Casa Pia trailed with 29 each. Tondela, sitting on 28, found themselves at the bottom. Casa Pia occupied the playoff slot — that’s the last shot at staying up after league play — with Tondela facing the direct drop.
Liga Portugal stacked the decisive relegation battles—Nacional-Vitória, Casa Pia-Rio Ave, Arouca-Tondela, and Braga-Estrela—all for 18:00. With everything kicking off together, live permutations barely factored in.
“We are masters of our own destiny,” Bacci said to reporters ahead of the game, as quoted by A Bola. “Not relying on anyone else makes a big difference. If we handle our job, we don’t have to watch for other outcomes.” A Bola
Bacci admitted Estrela couldn’t simply brush off the gravity of the evening. “I can’t hide that the team will have pressure in this game,” he said. “But that is part of it and the players have to know how to deal with it.” A Bola
No gentle sign-off from Braga. According to RTP, quoting Lusa, Braga locked in fourth spot after a 2-2 result at Benfica. Estrela, meanwhile, managed just a single point over its last six league matches.
Vicens had something to say as the season draws to a close. “It is the last game of the season, at home, and we want to play a very good game to say goodbye to the fans,” the Braga coach said. He added that Braga are hoping to “go on holiday with a sweet taste.” RTP Notícias
Ricardo Horta is back with the squad, giving the hosts a boost. According to Vicens, Braga handled their captain’s recovery with caution—he didn’t feature in Freiburg or against Benfica—but now he’s training as usual and ready to play.
Braga saw another headline this week, with the club finalizing the sale of Rodrigo Zalazar to Sporting. The Lisbon side is paying 30 million euros for the Uruguay midfielder, who’s now locked in through June 2031 on a five-year deal, per the club’s statement cited by A Bola. The contract also includes an 80 million-euro release clause.
Vicens described Zalazar as “fundamental” to Braga’s attack, emphasizing the midfielder’s role in a squad that “did special things.” He added that Braga were already looking ahead, with next season’s plans underway and a long summer market on the horizon. A Bola
Estrela faces a thin margin, and now the attack needs a new look. Rodrigo Pinho is out on suspension after picking up his fifth yellow card against Famalicão, according to Record, so Sydney van Hooijdonk is set for a rare start. The Dutchman has featured just nine times for Estrela and hasn’t clocked more than 30 minutes in any game since February.
So, the equation for Estrela is straightforward but still carries risk. Victory keeps them up—otherwise, they need to at least match whatever Casa Pia and Tondela do, according to Record’s breakdown. Slip up, and suddenly they’re left hoping for help elsewhere, which Bacci made clear he’s keen to avoid.
