Key Takeaways
- SC Freiburg aim for their first European final in club history when they face experienced Portuguese opponents SC Braga
- The German side face selection worries with Patrick Osterhage ruled out, while Braga miss suspended loanee Gabriel Moscardo
- Freiburg must win the Europa League or finish above Eintracht Frankfurt to secure European football next season
SC Freiburg travel to Portugal for a historic Europa League semi-final first leg against SC Braga. The German club have never reached this stage of a European competition before. Their opponents lost the 2011 final to FC Porto.
Manager Julian Schuster has led his team past Genk and Celta Vigo in previous rounds. The Bundesliga side scored eleven goals in their last three European matches. They only conceded two goals during this run. However, their form has dropped in domestic football. They lost their DFB-Pokal semi-final against Stuttgart. They also suffered a heavy defeat to Borussia Dortmund in the league.
Freiburg face a crucial battle to play European football next season. They must either win this tournament or finish higher than Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga.
SC Braga beat Spanish team Real Betis 5-3 over two legs to reach this stage. This is only the second time they have played in a European semi-final. In Portugal, they remain in a strong position to qualify for Europe next season. They lost to Santa Clara at the weekend but still hold the advantage for the final European spot.
The Portuguese side has played against German clubs before. They have faced six Bundesliga teams in thirteen matches. They won five times against Hoffenheim and Union Berlin. They lost five other matches. Freiburg met Portuguese opposition twelve years ago. They drew both games against GD Estoril Praia in the Europa League group stage.
Both teams have injury problems. Freiburg will miss Patrick Osterhage. Jordy Makengo might return after missing the match against Dortmund. Manager Schuster has made few changes to his team because of the busy schedule. Braga will miss Gabriel Moscardo. The midfielder is on loan from Paris Saint-Germain and is suspended. Several Braga players know German football well. Striker Rodrigo Zalazar, midfielder Florian Grillitsch, and defender Bright Arrey-Mbi have all played in the Bundesliga.
Likely Starting XIs:
SC Braga: Horniceck; Lagerbielke, Vitor Carvalho, Lelo; Gomez, Grillitsch, Gorby, Martinez; Zalazar, Horta; Victor
SC Freiburg: Atubolu; Makengo, Lienhart, Ginter, Treu; Eggestein, Manzambi; Grifo, Suzuki, Beste; Matanović