Preview: Freiburg vs Braga - prediction, team news, lineups

To reach their first-ever European final, Freiburg must overturn a one-goal deficit when they welcome Braga to Baden-Wurttemberg for the second leg of their Europa League semi-final on Thursday.

Last week’s first leg in Minho saw the Breisgau Brazilians fall to a dramatic 2-1 defeat, leaving the Archbishops in control as they chase a first appearance in the competition’s showpiece since 2010–11.

Match preview

Freiburg looked on course to take a positive result from the first leg, with the contest finely poised at 1-1 after Vincenzo Grifo’s 16th-minute strike cancelled out Demir Ege Tıknaz’s early opener.

Goalkeeper Noah Atubolu also came up big with a penalty save from Rodrigo Zalazar just before half-time to keep the Breisgau Brazilians in the tie, but despite that resilience, Julian Schuster’s side ultimately left Minho empty-handed after conceding a stoppage-time winner to Mario Dorgeles.

That result marked a third successive defeat for the German outfit, who had already suffered heartbreak in extra time against Stuttgart in the DFB-Pokal before being comfortably beaten by Borussia Dortmund in the league.

Freiburg did manage to halt that losing run on Sunday, when Philipp Lienhart’s 75th-minute equaliser rescued a 1-1 draw against relegation-threatened Wolfsburg, ensuring the Breisgau Brazilians moved up to seventh in the Bundesliga table.

Already out of the running for a top-six finish domestically, Freiburg’s only route into Europe’s elite now lies in winning the Europa League, and Schuster can take confidence from the fact that his team have won their last 10 continental home matches, scoring 28 and conceding just four.

Braga, meanwhile, are closing in on another European qualification spot domestically, currently sitting fourth in the Primeira Liga table and five points clear of fifth with just two games remaining, following a 1-1 draw with Estoril Praia last weekend.

Dorgeles was once again on target in that encounter, having opened the scoring in the 23rd minute, but a late equaliser from Yanis Begraoui ensured the points were shared, highlighting the Archbishops’ somewhat inconsistent run of form.

Carlos Vicens’ men have managed just two wins from their last five matches in all competitions (D2, L1), though that patchy run is unlikely to dampen confidence heading into Thursday's encounter, especially given they have lost just one of their last nine games (W5, D3).

The Archbishops have also shown notable resilience in the Europa League, losing just twice in their last 20 such outings (W14, D4), and it will come as little surprise if Braga press home their advantage, particularly after their impressive comeback win at Real Betis in the previous round.

Freiburg Europa League form:

Freiburg form (all competitions):

Braga Europa League form:

Braga form (all competitions):

Team News

Freiburg’s encounter with Wolfsburg came with added concerns, as Yuito Suzuki was forced off late on following a collision, and the 24-year-old attacker has now been ruled out of this clash with a collarbone fracture.

Centre-back Max Rosenfelder remains sidelined with a hamstring issue, while midfielder Patrick Osterhage continues his recovery from a serious knee injury, and Daniel-Kofi Kyereh is edging closer to full fitness, though this encounter might come early for the Ghanian midfielder.

Grifo’s strike in the first leg was his fifth of the Europa League campaign, and the Italian will be looking to deliver once again, with three of those goals coming in the knockout rounds.

Braga also suffered a blow in the first leg, with captain Ricardo Horta forced off, and he is set to miss a second successive game after sitting out the weekend’s fixture, further adding to their injury concerns.

The visitors will also be without Diego Rodrigues, Bright Arrey-Mbi, Adrian Barisic, Gabri Martínez, Florian Grillitsch and Sikou Niakate, all of whom remain sidelined, while Victor Gomez is a major doubt after missing the last outing.

Freiburg possible starting lineup:

Atubolu; Treu, Ginter, Lienhart, Makengo; Eggestein, Manzambi; Beste, Philipp, Grifo; Matanovic

Braga possible starting lineup:

Hornicek; Lagerbielke, V Carvalho, Moscardo; Dorgeles, Gorby, Tiknaz, Lelo; P Victor, Zalazar; Navarro

We say: Freiburg 2-2 Braga (Braga win 4-3 on aggregate)

Freiburg’s strong home record in Europe gives them a platform, but their recent form suggests they may fall just short of the level required to turn this tie around.

Braga, with the advantage in hand, are well placed to manage the game and could do enough to see it out, especially given their experience at this stage of the competition, so a draw appears likely here.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.