SC Freiburg suffered a heartbreaking defeat in the first leg of their UEFA Europa League semi-final against SC Braga, as a late goal turned what looked like a valuable draw into a damaging 2-1 loss.

The side led by Julian Schuster showed resilience after an early setback, but a decisive mistake from goalkeeper Noah Atubolu in stoppage time proved fatal.

Braga made a fast start, taking the lead in the 8th minute through Ismael Gharbi (Tiknaz), who capitalised on defensive confusion inside the Freiburg box. However, the German side responded almost immediately. Vincenzo Grifo made the most of his first clear opportunity, drilling a precise low finish into the corner to level the score.

Just before half-time, drama unfolded once again. Referee Anthony Taylor, following a VAR review, awarded a penalty to Braga. But Noah Atubolu redeemed himself in that moment, producing a crucial save to deny Rodrigo Zalazar and keep Freiburg in the game.

The second half, however, struggled to find rhythm. Frequent stoppages disrupted the flow, and Freiburg appeared comfortable, maintaining defensive discipline while controlling the tempo.

That control lasted until deep into added time. In the 92nd minute, disaster struck. Atubolu failed to properly deal with a routine effort, parrying the ball straight into danger. Dorgeles Nene reacted quickest, calmly slotting into an empty net to snatch victory for Braga.

2025-26, Europa League

Braga - Freiburg 2:1 (1:1)
Goals: Tıknaz, 8 (1:0); Grifo, 16 (1:1); Dorgeles, 92 (2:1)

Braga: Hornicek; Gómez Víctor; Lagerbielke; Oliveira P.; Carvalho Vi.; Joao Moutinho; Zalazar (Navarro F., 72); Gorby J.; Tıknaz; Pau Victor; Horta R. (Dorgeles, 26)
Substitution: Dorgeles (from 26); Navarro F. (from 72)
Bench: Tiago Sá; Bellaarouch; Lelo; Noro; da Rocha; Vasconcelos; El Ouazzani
Yellow Cards: Carvalho Vi. 16; Gómez Víctor 58

Freiburg: Atubolu; Lienhart; Beste; Treu; Makengo J.; Ginter; Grifo (Scherhant, 81); Manzambi; Suzuki Yu. (Höler, 81); Eggestein М.; Matanovic
Substitution: Scherhant (from 81); Höler (from 81)
Bench: Müller Fl.; Huth J.; Jung A.; Kübler; Günter; Ogbus; Höfler; Irié; Philipp M.
Yellow Cards: Grifo 18; Lienhart 45; Makengo J. 72