SC Freiburg secured its spot in the Europa League final with a 3-1 victory over Sporting Braga, thereby overturning the 1-2 deficit from the first leg.
The home team benefited early on from a red card issued to Braga’s Mario Dorgeles, who fouled Jan-Niklas Beste in the sixth minute. Utilizing the numerical advantage, Freiburg took control of the game and scored in the 19th minute. Following a failed header attempt by the guests, Lukas Kübler capitalized on the short-range opportunity to make it 1-0.
Although Braga maintained a compact defensive shape for a considerable time, they conceded another goal just before halftime. In the 41st minute, Johan Manzambi struck from around 20 meters, scoring impressively to make the score 2-0. The Portuguese side nearly responded immediately, but failed to score during the added time of the first half, ultimately being thwarted by a Freiburg defender.
Freiburg remained the more dangerous side even after the break. Vincenzo Grifo hit the outside of the post in the 47th minute, before Kübler netted his second goal of the evening in the 72nd minute, heading in from a free-kick cross by Grifo and increasing the lead to 3-0.
Despite being a man down, Braga did not give up and managed to concede a goal in the 79th minute, making the final score 3-1. Although Freiburg faced pressure late in the game, they held onto their lead, advancing to a Europa League final for the first time in the club’s history.