The match exploded into life early. João Moutinho converted a 12th-minute penalty with precision, rifling his right-footed shot into the top-right corner to give Braga the lead. But Estrela responded with devastating speed. Just four minutes later, Kikas collected Paulo Moreira's pass following a lightning-fast break and curled a magnificent right-footed effort from outside the box into the bottom-left corner.
The home side's joy was short-lived, however, as Braga reasserted control. Fran Navarro prodded home from close range in the 51st minute after his initial shot was saved by Renan Ribeiro, then Rodrigo Zalazar squeezed a right-footed shot from the right side of the six-yard box into the bottom-left corner in the 64th minute to seemingly put the visitors in command at 3-1.
Yet Estrela refused to surrender. Jovane Cabral swept home Jefferson Encada's assist from the center of the box in the 69th minute, and just four minutes later, Abraham Marcus pounced following a corner, drilling his left-footed shot from the right side of the six-yard box into the bottom-right corner to complete the remarkable turnaround.
Braga dominated possession with 58%, pinning Estrela back for long stretches and dictating the tactical tempo through João Moutinho's orchestration in midfield. The visitors' technical superiority was evident as they probed patiently, with Víctor Gómez and Leonardo Lelo providing width. Yet Estrela's defensive resilience, marshaled by Luan Patrick and Bernardo Schappo, kept them in the contest. Renan Ribeiro produced three crucial saves to deny Braga a more comfortable advantage, while at the other end, Lukáš Horníček was called into action just once but couldn't prevent the late onslaught. The midfield battle between Gabriel Moscardo and Paulo Moreira was particularly intense, with both players breaking up attacks and launching counters.
Braga were clinical, putting six of their 10 shots on target compared to Estrela's four from 11 attempts. The visitors' 60% shot accuracy reflected their quality in the final third, yet they couldn't match Estrela's determination. The corner count of 7-5 in Braga's favor told the story of territorial dominance, but Estrela's 14 fouls compared to Braga's eight revealed the physical battle the hosts were willing to wage. Two yellow cards for Estrela, including one for Jovane Cabral in the 49th minute, highlighted the edge they played with throughout.
The turning point arrived in that frantic five-minute spell between the 69th and 73rd minutes. Trailing 3-1 and staring at defeat, Estrela's manager's decision to maintain attacking intent rather than accept the loss proved inspired. Jovane Cabral's goal breathed life into the home side, and suddenly Braga's defense, so composed for an hour, looked vulnerable. Abraham Marcus's equalizer from the resulting corner sent the home supporters into delirium and left Braga stunned, unable to regain their composure despite late pressure that included Vítor Carvalho's header that sailed just wide in the 79th minute.
Looking ahead, Estrela will host Estoril on January 18 in a crucial relegation six-pointer, while Braga travel to face Tondela the same day seeking to bounce back and keep their European ambitions alive.