Estoril and Freiburg shared the spoils in Group H of the Europa League on a wet evening in Portugal, with the game ending 0-0.
There were more cards than chances on goal and indeed Freiburg ended the game with nine men following two late second-yellows.
Estoril's Carlitos hit the bar with a second-half header, which was the closest either side came to troubling the scorers and the result leaves the clubs still as the bottom two in the group.
Read how the action unfolded below.
Hello folks and thanks for joining me for what is the second German side in Europa League action tonight. Freiburg are in Portugal to take on Estoril Praia.
No time for anything except the two teams. I'll get that right over to you before kickoff.
ESTORIL XI: Vagner; Mano, Tavares, Fernandes, Babanco; Goncalo; Filipe Goncalves, Evandro; Carlitos, Seba; Leal
FREIBURG: Baumann; Sorg, Krmas, Diagne, Lorenzoni; Hofler; Kerk, Darida, Coquelin, Pilar; Guede
KICKOFF: The hosts in yellow get us underway here. It's a small ground but there is a lot of noise.
Slow start here because Fallou Diagne has taken a blow and has had to receive treatment. We're back underway as Baumann kicks upfield on what is quite an uneven looking pitch.
BOOKING: Carlitos is booked early on and he now must be careful for the rest of the game. Diagne is back on and looks to be fit enough to continue.
No chances as yet, but the Portuguese side are looking the most threatening. The men in red are defending solidly, however. Remember, both these sides really need a win tonight to keep their hopes alive.
They are looking comfortable with the ball at their feet the Portuguese side, but they will want to start to threaten soon. Freiburg are set up compactly to break, but haven't had a chance to yet.
CHANCE! Seba is played in over the top and under pressure from Sorg pokes a shot away but sees it turned wide by Baumann. Good defending really then Freiburg force the hosts back from the corner.
First effort at goal from Christian Streich's men, but Coquelin's header goes well wide and eventually out of play for a goal kick. A little better from Freiburg, though, and they are beginning to see more of the ball.
Kerk slashes a volley from a headed away free kick high and wide of the target. It's still very competitive in the middle as neither side fancies giving up the battle. Karim Guede is pushed by Babanco, but no free kick given.
Darida strikes a free kick under the jumping wall but far too central and it's easily gathered by Vagner in the home goal. I suppose with the state of the pitch it could have bobbled over him, but no such luck for Darida.
Half-chance for Carlitos there. Evandro pinches the ball from Lorenzoni and cuts back to the edge of the box where Carlitos is waiting, but he slashes at his effort and it goes well over.
We still have not had a clear-cut chance yet then. One or two efforts from both sides, but there is nothing being given away by either defence as yet.
BOOKING: Guede is the next player booked for scything through Carlitos late. He can have absolutely no complaints about that - the wet surface made it worse, probably, but still a poor challenge.
CHANCE! Probably the best chance of the game so far there. Carlitos again is involved and he passes to Goncalves who is in space on the edge of the box, but his low shot goes wide when he probably should have at least tested Baumann.
BOOKING: Another card and this one if for Nicolas Hofler for a foul on Goncalo after the ball had long gone. Nothing malicious, he's been carded for the sheer amount of time it took for him to make that foul.
The conditions are really not helping the flow of the game as Coquelin is the next player to be a little late in his challenge. No booking for the Arsenal man, though, and the game quickly carries on. Can either side get a big chance before the break?
Desperation is beginning to set in, as Sorg tries his luck from fully 35 yards. It has ended up where that sort of effort does nine out of 10 times - row Z. Well, there's not actually a stand behind the goal so it's gone into someone's garden I'd assume.
Awful bit of goalkeeper from Vagner as he gets nowhere near Lorenzoni's cross from the left. He's fortunate that there's not a Freiburg player close enough to take advantage. That's a couple of times that the keeper has looked a little shaky with his handling.
I would be very surprised if we saw a goal before half time now. Freiburg are finishing the stronger side, but have not had any sort of chance yet. Carlitos's effort has been by far the best chance.
There will be just one minute of time to be added on at the end of the half.
HALF-TIME: Estoril 0-0 Freiburg
Well, it's fair to say that first half will be forgotten in a hurry. If you were to tell an alien that these two teams were the strugglers in their group, it would certainly believe you. On the up side, it can only get better.
Really there has been just one major chance, although in another game that would not be listed among the better of them. Carlitos had a few yards of room with a shot from the edge of the box but put it wide. That's it.
There has certainly been more yellow cards than chances in this one. Freiburg's effort have mainly come from range and although Vagner has looked a little shaky in goal they have yet to really test him on this wet surface.
The players are coming back out for the second period. If I was either coach I'd have given them a swift kick in the proverbial because they simply have not been good enough.
KICKOFF: Mehmedi is on for Kerk at the break for the visitors, as they also get us back underway.
It's a decent start to the half with attacking intent from both teams. Pilar's cross is deflected and eventually cleared, before Estoril go up the other end with Carlitos striking low from range straight at Baumann.
CHANCE! First proper sight at goal there for Leal, who got in front of his marker from a corner but headed it wide of the near post. If that was on target I think Baumann would have been beaten. Then Seba tests the goalkeeper with a header of his own and that's a really good save down low.
He really isn't comfortable with the ball today, Vagner. Darida shoots low from 30 yards and the keeper almost spills it to the advancing Pilar, but reacts and gathers at the second time of asking.
Good defending by Tavares there as Mehmedi is nearly in, but is forced wide by a strong shoulder charge. Freiburg are just about on top of proceedings at the moment.
BOOKING: Diagne goes into the book for bringing down the tricky Carlitos. This is less than 25 yards from goal and is a really good chance for the hosts.
OFF THE BAR! The free kick deflects off the ball and then Baumann saves with his legs from the resulting play. From the corner Carlitos meets the header but his effort goes up off the bar and out of play! That's the closest we have come and the hosts are stepping it up just now.
Praia's play is all coming well through Carlitos. He's almost away but slips at the vital moment and cannot recover by the time he has got back up. Diagne is down for the second time in the game, but is back on his feet much more quickly this time.
MISS! That could have been the chance! Estoril work a move with Leal presented with a big chance from the edge of the box and all the time in the world. He tries to bend it into the corner but gets under it and skies it! Oh dear.
FREIBURG SUB: Freis comes on for Darida in a like-for-like swap. Darida, in fairness, has faded as this has gone on.
ESTORIL SUB: First change for the hosts here as Balboa replaces Carlitos. The player coming off has been the best player on the pitch tonight by quite some distance.
FREIBURG SUB: Coquelin is making way now for Christian Gunter. There's a bit more solidity in the middle for the visitors with that change.
After the changes the Portuguese side have settled better and are back on top. Without being dominant, however. They are spreading the play well and their full-backs are keeping their opposite numbers back at the moment.
I have to say I would be very surprised if either side was able to win this one. Credit to the fans, they are still making a lot of noise. This is every inch a bottom of the table Europa League clash!
Really dangerous ball into the box there from a Evandro free kick from deep. Baumann was struggling but it was Diagne who got up to head away.
ESTORIL SUBS Couple of changes for the hosts. Filipe Gonvalves and Leal come off for Pedro and Bruno. Can they create the spark needed?
SAVE! That is an excellent save from the Freiburg stopper! It was Mano who rose to meet a deep free kick from Evandro and Baumann reacted really well to turn it over the bar. He must have thought he'd scored.
In the aftermath of that save Fernandes was booked, by the way. Here Freiburg have a chance with a free kick but Mehmedi does not get enough air on it and it's an easy clearance for the first man. Another yellow card, this time for Hofler. I make that almost every player now.
RED CARD! Another booking and this time it's a player who has already been carded - Guede. He pulled back Goncalves and will now be suspended for what is likely to be Freiburg's penultimate game. Another free kick then for the hosts.
Of course Hofler's was also his second yellow card, which means that the visitors are down to nine now. There's danger of an abandonment now - which, trust me, will be doing everyone a favour!
MISS! That is surely the final chance! Baumann makes a save initially from Seba, but Lopes then flashes the rebound over with the goal gaping. Deary, deary me.
There will be four minutes of time added on, and we're nearly into the second of it.
Appeals for a penalty now for the hosts, but they fall on deaf ears. It would have been incredibly harsh as a couple of yellow shirts go to ground, but every player only had eyes for the ball there.
Balboa goes in late on Drmas, who after a few seconds takes the opportunity to go down to waste some time.
FULL-TIME: Estoril 0-0 Freiburg
Unfortunately, this game delivered exactly what had been feared. It's a 0-0 draw despite the hosts' late two-man advantage. Really it's the right result as well. Baumann was the busier keeper but his side held on for a point that really will help neither team.
Thanks for joining me tonight. Please stay on site for reports and reaction to tonight's games, but for me it's goodbye until next time.
Written by
Matt Domm
Matt Domm
