Daijiworld Media Network – Braga

Braga, May 1: Braga secured a dramatic 2-1 victory over Freiburg in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final clash, with Mario Dorgeles netting a late injury-time winner to give the Portuguese side a narrow advantage heading into the return leg in Germany.

The hosts made a strong start in front of their home crowd at the Estadio Municipal, with Demir Ege Tiknaz opening the scoring in the eighth minute with a close-range finish. However, Freiburg responded quickly, as Vincenzo Grifo equalised just eight minutes later with a composed strike off a precise cross from Jan-Niklas Beste.

After an intense opening spell, the game settled before VAR awarded Braga a penalty just before half-time following a foul by Philipp Lienhart on Gustaf Lagerbielke. However, Freiburg goalkeeper Noah Atubolu produced a crucial save, diving to his right to deny Rodrigo Zalazar from the spot.

Braga pushed forward in the second half, making attacking changes in search of a breakthrough. Their persistence paid off deep into stoppage time when Atubolu spilled a shot from Vitor Carvalho, allowing Dorgeles to capitalise and slot home the winner from close range.

Braga coach Carlos Vicens praised his side’s resilience after the match, highlighting their ability to recover despite the missed penalty.

The second leg will be played in Germany, where Freiburg will look to overturn the deficit. The winner of the tie will face either Nottingham Forest or Aston Villa in the final scheduled to be held in Istanbul on May 20.