Key Takeaways
- Noah Atubolu has accepted responsibility for the stoppage-time blunder that condemned SC Freiburg to defeat in Portugal
- The goalkeeper lost sight of the ball before substitute Mario Dorgeles struck the winner deep into added time
- Atubolu earlier denied Rodrigo Zalazar from the penalty spot to keep the Bundesliga side level at the interval
SC Freiburg goalkeeper Noah Atubolu has shouldered the blame for his costly error that handed Sporting Braga a last-minute victory in their European knockout tie.
The 22-year-old German shot-stopper suffered a nightmare finish to the first leg. He failed to deal with a late cross in injury time, allowing substitute Mario Dorgeles to smash home the decisive goal. The 21-year-old winger capitalised on a rebound after Atubolu had initially blocked a tame effort from Vítor Carvalho.
“I could not see the ball,” Atubolu explained to RTL following the final whistle. “Philipp Lienhart was standing directly in front of me, or perhaps beside me. That was the difficulty.”
Earlier in the contest, the keeper produced a moment of brilliance to maintain the deadlock. He guessed correctly to save a first-half penalty from Rodrigo Zalazar, denying the former Bundesliga forward from twelve yards.
However, the late blunder proved fatal for the visitors. Head coach Julian Schuster expressed frustration with his team’s defensive lapses. “We did not defend well during the crucial moments when we were punished,” he stated. “We can perform better, and we must improve before the return leg.”
The result leaves SC Freiburg facing an uphill battle when they welcome the Portuguese side to Germany next week.