Sporting Braga vs Real Madrid tips and predictions: Los Blancos to continue Group C dominance

Real Madrid travel to Portugal to play against Sporting Braga on matchday three of the UEFA Champions League group stage on Tuesday.

Los Blancos top their group with six points and could put some distance between themselves and the Portuguese side, who currently sit third on three points.

Carlo Ancelotti's Real Madrid team are coming off a 1-1 draw with Sevilla at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium, a controversial match in which Real accused the referees of bias.

Braga, on the other hand, are coming off a 2-0 victory over Rebordosa, a third-division team in the Portuguese Cup.

The team from northern Portugal is currently in fourth place in the league table and have won their last five matches in all competitions, including a 3-2 away victory against Union Berlin.

Real Madrid are also in good form, having gone unbeaten in their last five games (four wins and one draw). They remain top of La Liga, although Girona have drawn level on points.

Suggested bet: Real Madrid -1.5 Asian handicap

Even though El Clásico is imminent, Ancelotti and his team will not take the game against Braga lightly and will try to secure first place in the group as soon as possible.

Braga has lost only one of their last five home games, a 1-2 defeat to Napoli in the opening round of the group stage. Overall, Sporting have lost two, won four and drawn one at home.

Real Madrid have lost just one of seven this season but have responded well since losing 3-1 to rivals Atletico Madrid.

Madrid have won three of their last four away Champions League games, beating Liverpool 5-2, Chelsea 2-0, and Napoli 2-1.

Braga's only other appearance in the Champions League was in the 2012-13 season when they finished fourth in a group with CFR Cluj, Manchester United, and Galatasaray.

Back then they lost all the three games played at home. Overall, the Portuguese team has four consecutive defeats at home in the UCL group stage.

Real Madrid has won 14 of the 21 matches they have played against Portuguese teams, with their last defeat coming in 1999 against FC Porto in the UEFA Champions League group stage.

Suggested bet: Real Madrid -1.5 Asian handicap

• Sergiu Baltuta provides tips as SVB Tips on Tipstrr