Braga Edge Freiburg 2–1 to Take Narrow Lead in Europa League Semi-final
Sporting Clube de Braga claimed a hard-fought 2–1 win over SC Freiburg in the first leg of their UEFA Europa League semi-final on Thursday night, giving the Portuguese side a slender but valuable advantage in the tie.
With a place in the Europa League final at stake, Braga made the most of home advantage to edge past their Bundesliga opponents. The result leaves the matchup finely poised ahead of the decisive return leg in Germany, where Freiburg will look to overturn the one-goal deficit.
Despite the importance of the occasion, detailed play-by-play data from the match — including goal scorers, timings, bookings and substitutions — was not available at the time of writing. What is confirmed is the full-time score: Braga 2, Freiburg 1, in a tense opening chapter of this semi-final.
The narrow margin means both teams remain firmly in contention for a spot in the final. Braga will travel to Germany knowing even a draw in the second leg could be enough to see them through, while Freiburg can take encouragement from having scored away from home and staying within striking distance on aggregate.
The Europa League has often provided a platform for clubs outside Europe’s traditional elite to make deep runs, and this semi-final continues that tradition, pitting Portuguese and German ambitions against each other in a finely balanced contest.
More detailed statistics and match events may be added once full data becomes available. For further information and updates, visit the UEFA Europa League page on Ballaxy or see the dedicated match centre for Braga vs Freiburg. Team profiles are also available for Sporting Clube de Braga and SC Freiburg.
UEFA Europa League Standings
| # | Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Olympique Lyonnais
|
8 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 18 | 5 | 13 | 21 | |
| 2 |
Aston Villa FC
|
8 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 14 | 6 | 8 | 21 | L W W |
| 3 |
FC Midtjylland
|
8 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 18 | 8 | 10 | 19 | |
| 4 |
Real Betis Balompié
|
8 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 13 | 7 | 6 | 17 | L D |
| 5 |
FC Porto
|
8 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 13 | 7 | 6 | 17 | L D |
| 6 |
Sporting Clube de Braga
|
8 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 5 | 6 | 17 | W W D |
| 7 |
SC Freiburg
|
8 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 4 | 6 | 17 | L W W |
| 8 |
AS Roma
|
8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 13 | 6 | 7 | 16 | |
| 9 |
KRC Genk
|
8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 11 | 7 | 4 | 16 | |
| 10 |
Bologna FC 1909
|
8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 15 | L L |
| 11 |
VfB Stuttgart
|
8 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 15 | 9 | 6 | 15 | |
| 12 |
Ferencvárosi TC
|
8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 12 | 11 | 1 | 15 | |
| 13 |
Nottingham Forest FC
|
8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 15 | 7 | 8 | 14 | W W D |
| 14 |
FC Viktoria Plzeň
|
8 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 14 | |
| 15 |
FK Crvena Zvezda
|
8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 14 | |
| 16 |
RC Celta de Vigo
|
8 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 15 | 11 | 4 | 13 | L L |
| 17 |
PAOK Thessaloniki FC
|
8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 17 | 14 | 3 | 12 | |
| 18 |
Lille OSC
|
8 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 12 | 9 | 3 | 12 | |
| 19 |
Fenerbahçe SK
|
8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 12 | |
| 20 |
Panathinaikos AO
|
8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 11 | 9 | 2 | 12 | |
| 21 |
Celtic FC
|
8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 13 | 15 | -2 | 11 | |
| 22 |
PFK Ludogorets 1945 Razgrad
|
8 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 12 | 15 | -3 | 10 | |
| 23 |
GNK Dinamo Zagreb
|
8 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 12 | 16 | -4 | 10 | |
| 24 |
SK Brann
|
8 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 11 | -2 | 9 | |
| 25 |
BSC Young Boys
|
8 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 10 | 16 | -6 | 9 | |
| 26 |
SK Sturm Graz
|
8 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 11 | -6 | 7 | |
| 27 |
FCSB Bukarest
|
8 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 9 | 16 | -7 | 7 | |
| 28 |
Go Ahead Eagles
|
8 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 14 | -8 | 7 | |
| 29 |
Feyenoord Rotterdam
|
8 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 11 | 15 | -4 | 6 | |
| 30 |
FC Basel 1893
|
8 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 9 | 13 | -4 | 6 | |
| 31 |
FC Red Bull Salzburg
|
8 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 10 | 15 | -5 | 6 | |
| 32 |
Rangers FC
|
8 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 14 | -9 | 4 | |
| 33 |
OGC Nice
|
8 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 15 | -8 | 3 | |
| 34 |
FC Utrecht
|
8 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 5 | 15 | -10 | 1 | |
| 35 |
Malmö FF
|
8 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 4 | 15 | -11 | 1 | |
| 36 |
Maccabi Tel Aviv FC
|
8 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 22 | -20 | 1 |
