Freiburg’s dream of reaching the final is in jeopardy, as the team faces a tough challenge to advance in the Europa League. The Bundesliga club lost the first leg of their semi-final 1-2 (1-1) away to Sporting Braga. They will need a strong comeback in the return leg next Thursday to secure their first-ever European Cup final appearance.
Demir Ege Tiknaz (8th minute) and Mario Dorgeles (90+2nd minute) scored for the Portuguese side, who are currently fourth in their league. Vincenzo Grifo (16th minute) found the net for Freiburg in their semi-final debut in an international competition. Goalkeeper Atubolu saved a penalty (45+2nd minute). Freiburg has won all their home European cup matches this season. The final, to be held on May 20th in Istanbul, will definitely feature a club from the English Premier League, with Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa competing for the second spot.
SC coach Julian Schuster expressed his excitement before the match, stating, «To be able to experience this is very, very nice. The team’s motivation is very, very high.» He emphasized the importance of «small details» and maintaining «discipline» to execute the «match plan,» describing Braga as a «cynical team.» Striker Igor Matanovic spoke of a «healthy nervousness» and a desire to «give everything and also enjoy it because you dream of something like this. We are here to win the game.»
Freiburg found themselves under defensive pressure early on. Their build-up play didn’t function as hoped, with the game largely confined to the visitors’ half. A poor start was immediately punished when Tiknaz scored after a weak header clearance from Jordy Makengo.
Noah Atubolu Saves a Penalty — Then Makes a Mistake in Stoppage Time
Freiburg’s first offensive threat came in the 11th minute with a long-range shot from Johan Manzambi that went over the bar. Subsequently, Freiburg, missing Patrick Osterhage and Max Rosenfelder, gained more possession and were quickly rewarded. Grifo finished off a counter-attack initiated by Niklas Beste, marking his 108th competitive goal for Freiburg, making him the club’s record goalscorer.
The match then became a battle of attrition. Freiburg, who are set to face VfL Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga on Sunday, made uncharacteristically many errors, and Schuster’s team struggled to find their rhythm. With little coming from the Portuguese side, the game lacked significant highlights during this period.
The game remained sluggish even after half an hour, with numerous fouls and interruptions preventing any fluid play. The controversial penalty, awarded after a foul by Freiburg defender Philipp Lienhart, came out of nowhere. Atubolu, who set a Bundesliga record last year by saving five consecutive penalties, denied former Bundesliga player Rodrigo Zalazar.
Little changed at the start of the second half, with both teams hesitant to take risks. After 75 minutes, a draw seemed likely. However, Braga eventually scored, partly due to an error from Atubolu who could only parry the ball forward, with Braga converting the rebound.