Braga took a big advantage in the UEFA Champions League third qualifying round after a comfortable 3-0 victory against beat TSC Backa Topola in the first leg.
The Warriors were too good with Bruma opening the scoring in the 17th minute and Pizzi doubling the advantage two minutes later.
Artur Jorge’s side stayed on top and extended their lead in the 87th minute, capitalising on another turnover with Álvaro Djaló finding the bottom corner.
The second leg will be played in Slovakia on Tuesday, the winner of the tie to face Marseille or Panathinaikos in the play-offs.
One way traffic
Braga had all the ball early on, Bruma looking lively on the left wing and executing a volley that tested Veljko Ilić.
Backa Topola were compounding their inability to advance ball into Braga's half by frequently giving the Portuguese club the ball. It appeared a matter of time before Braga went ahead, that moment coming in the 17th minute.
Christian Borja did well to release Bruma who took advantage of a retreating defence, his low swerving shot too hot for Ilić to handle.
Less than two minutes later it was 2-0 after the visitors gave the ball away once again. Vitor Carvalho found Abel Ruiz who cleverly sent Pizzi through on goal, the playmaker picking his spot and finishing with confidence.
Great change goes begging
Backa Topola finally managed to get the ball forward and created a fantastic opportunity to score in the 21st minute.
Milo Pantović was played in by Saa Jovanović after Braga's defence fell asleep, the striker lacking composure and blasting the ball over the bar.
Braga back on top
Braga went straight back on the attack with their intricate passing starting to pay off.
Bruma got past Mateja Dordević and picked out Al Musrati, the midfielder hitting a sweet side footed shot towards the top corner where Ilić produced a spectacular save.
The goalkeeper was called into action again from the resulting corner, showing sharp reflexes to palm José Fonte’s header away from danger.
The half time break did Backa Topola no favours as Braga stayed on the front foot in the second half.
Vitor Carvalho headed over the bar and Bruma’s deflected shot was saved before Álvaro Djaló replaced Pizzi in the 68th minute.
The substitutions started to flow with Vitor Carvalho and Abel Ruiz making way for Rodrigo Zalazar and André Horta.
Late goal seals the deal
Zalazar volleyed wide but there was still time for Braga to reinforce their dominance and take a 3-0 lead to Serbia.
Goran Antonić played a suicidal pass to Al Musrati who found an unmarked Djaló, the forward using the time and space allowed to pick his spot and slide the ball into the bottom corner.
Analysis
The pattern of the match was established early on and rarely deviated. Bruma and Pizzi scored within two minutes as Braga ended with 15-2 shots and 9-0 corners.
Backa Topola were overawed in their Champions League debut, showing no composure on the rare occasions they got anywhere near Matheus.
Artur Jorge’s side will surely advance to the play-offs where Marseille or Panathinaikos will present a sterner challenge.
The match was notable for José Fonte, Vitor Carvalho and Rodrigo Zalazar who made their competitive debuts. Adrián Marín was an unuesed substitute and Rony Lopes wasn't in the squad.
Carvalho was particularly bright in midfield and will hope to build a partnership with Al Musrati. The Brazilian was a no brainer signing from Gil Vicente, €2m a bargain price for the 26-year-old who faces competition from Rodrigo Zalazar and André Horta.
The sale of Iuri Medeiros to Al-Nasr SC opens the door for Pizzi to get more playing time. He didn’t get as many minutes as he would have liked after making the January switch from Al-Wahda, but the former Benfica playmaker could be set for a big season for Braga.
