Freiburg vs Braga - prediction, team news, lineups

To scope their first-ever European final, Freiburg indispensable overturn a one-goal shortage erstwhile they invited Braga to Baden-Wurttemberg for the 2nd limb of their Europa League semi-final connected Thursday.

Last week’s archetypal limb successful Minho saw the Breisgau Brazilians fall to a melodramatic 2-1 defeat, leaving the Archbishops successful power arsenic they pursuit a archetypal quality successful the competition’s showpiece since 2010–11.

Match preview

Freiburg looked connected people to instrumentality a affirmative effect from the archetypal leg, with the contention finely poised astatine 1-1 aft Vincenzo Grifo’s 16th-minute onslaught cancelled retired Demir Ege Tıknaz’s aboriginal opener.

Goalkeeper Noah Atubolu besides came up large with a punishment prevention from Rodrigo Zalazar conscionable earlier half-time to support the Breisgau Brazilians successful the tie, but contempt that resilience, Julian Schuster’s broadside yet near Minho empty-handed aft conceding a stoppage-time victor to Mario Dorgeles.

That effect marked a 3rd successive decision for the German outfit, who had already suffered heartbreak successful other clip against Stuttgart successful the DFB-Pokal earlier being comfortably beaten by Borussia Dortmund in the league.

Freiburg did negociate to halt that losing tally connected Sunday, erstwhile Philipp Lienhart’s 75th-minute equaliser rescued a 1-1 gully against relegation-threatened Wolfsburg, ensuring the Breisgau Brazilians moved up to seventh successful the Bundesliga table.  

Already retired of the moving for a top-six decorativeness domestically, Freiburg’s lone way into Europe’s elite present lies successful winning the Europa League, and Schuster tin instrumentality assurance from the information that his squad person won their past 10 continental location matches, scoring 28 and conceding conscionable four.  

Braga, meanwhile, are closing successful connected different European qualification spot domestically, presently sitting 4th successful the Primeira Liga table and 5 points wide of 5th with conscionable 2 games remaining, pursuing a 1-1 gully with Estoril Praia past weekend.

Dorgeles was erstwhile again connected people successful that encounter, having opened the scoring successful the 23rd minute, but a precocious equaliser from Yanis Begraoui ensured the points were shared, highlighting the Archbishops’ somewhat inconsistent tally of form.  

Carlos Vicens’ men person managed conscionable 2 wins from their past 5 matches successful each competitions (D2, L1), though that patchy tally is improbable to dampen assurance heading into Thursday's encounter, particularly fixed they person mislaid conscionable 1 of their past 9 games (W5, D3).

The Archbishops person besides shown notable resilience successful the Europa League, losing conscionable doubly successful their past 20 specified outings (W14, D4), and it volition travel arsenic small astonishment if Braga property location their advantage, peculiarly aft their awesome comeback triumph astatine Real Betis successful the erstwhile round.
 

Freiburg Europa League form:

Freiburg signifier (all competitions):

Braga Europa League form:

Braga signifier (all competitions):

Team News

Freiburg’s brushwood with Wolfsburg came with added concerns, arsenic Yuito Suzuki was forced disconnected precocious connected pursuing a collision, and the 24-year-old attacker has present been ruled retired of this clash with a collarbone fracture.

Centre-back Max Rosenfelder remains sidelined with a hamstring issue, portion midfielder Patrick Osterhage continues his betterment from a superior genu injury, and Daniel-Kofi Kyereh is edging person to afloat fitness, though this brushwood mightiness travel aboriginal for the Ghanian midfielder. 

Grifo’s onslaught successful the archetypal limb was his 5th of the Europa League campaign, and the Italian volition beryllium looking to present erstwhile again, with 3 of those goals coming successful the knockout rounds.

Braga besides suffered a stroke successful the archetypal leg, with skipper Ricardo Horta forced off, and helium is acceptable to miss a 2nd successive crippled aft sitting retired the weekend’s fixture, further adding to their wounded concerns.

The visitors volition besides beryllium without Diego Rodrigues, Bright Arrey-Mbi, Adrian Barisic, Gabri Martínez, Florian Grillitsch and Sikou Niakate, each of whom stay sidelined, portion Victor Gomez is simply a large uncertainty aft missing the past outing.
 

Freiburg imaginable starting lineup:

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

Braga imaginable starting lineup:

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

We say: Freiburg 2-2 Braga (Braga triumph 4-3 connected aggregate)

Freiburg’s beardown location grounds successful Europe gives them a platform, but their caller signifier suggests they whitethorn autumn conscionable abbreviated of the level required to crook this necktie around.

Braga, with the vantage successful hand, are good placed to negociate the crippled and could bash capable to spot it out, particularly fixed their acquisition astatine this signifier of the competition, truthful a gully appears apt here.

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