Braga vs. Freiburg: UEFA Europa League semi-final LIVE blog and team news

Freiburg can take a step towards the UEFA Europa League final when they visit Braga for the first leg of their last-four tie on Thursday 30 April (kick-off 9pm CEST).

The Black Forest club have made history this season by progressing further than ever before in European competition, having previously only ever reached the round of 16.

Now a maiden final is in sight for Freiburg as they go into the first leg of their semi-final against Braga.

Having narrowly lost out to VfB Stuttgart in the DFB Cup semi-final, Julian Schuster's men will now be even more determined to get over the line. 

Follow build-up and match coverage in our blog:

VS

Braga

Thu, 30.04 19:00

Freiburg

Europa League
Semi-final, first leg Semi-final, first leg Estádio Municipal de Braga

Braga defeated ahead of Freiburg clash

On the eve of their Europa League semi-final, Carlos Vicens' side lost 2-1 away at Santa Clara in the Liga Portugal. Rodrigo Salazar's first half goal wasn't enough to prevent fourth-placed Braga from losing their first league match in over a month.

© MIGUEL RIOPA

1:04

Watch: Dortmund 4-0 Freiburg - highlights

A weakened Freiburg side, missing many of its star players, were dismantled by Dortmund last time out in the Bundesliga. The hosts raced into a 3-0 lead before half-time at Signal Iduna Park, thanks to goals from Maxilian Meier, Serhou Guirassy and Ramy Bensebaini.

Prolific record

Vincenzo Grifo has 10 goals and six assists in 30 Europa League appearances for Freiburg. Since 2022/23, only Roma midfielder Lorenzo Pellegrini (10 goals, eight assists) has registered more direct goal involvements in the competition.

© IMAGO/Eibner-Pressefoto/Thomas Hess

Free-scoring Freiburg

Schuster's side have scored 11 goals in their last three Europa League matches. The last side to find the net three or more times in four consecutive games in the competition were Lyon between September and November 2021.

© IMAGO/JOERAN STEINSIEK

Freiburg - the story so far

Like Braga, Freiburg won five of their eight league-phase games and had to come from behind to reach the last eight. A narrow 1-0 defeat in Genk in the last 16 first leg was followed by a magnificent 5-1 victory in front of their own supporters, who then witnessed a 3-0 win over Celta Vigo in the first leg of the quarter-finals. A 3-1 success in Spain in the return game secured their semi-final spot in style.

© MIGUEL RIOPA

Braga - the story so far

Freiburg and Braga finished level on points and goal difference in the Europa League league phase, but the Primeira Liga outfit finished just above the Black Forest club in sixth after scoring one more goal in their eight games. Carlos Vicens' side overcame a two-goal deficit in a 4-2 aggregate victory over Ferencvaros in the last 16 before beating Real Betis 5-3 on aggregate in the quarter-finals.

© FRED TANNEAU

Freiburg miss out on Berlin

This is Freiburg's second semi-final in the space of eight days after Julian Schuster's side were beaten by VfB Stuttgart in the last four of the DFB Cup on 23 April. Maximilian Eggestein put them ahead at the MHP Arena, but Deniz Undav equalised before Tiago Tomás completed the turnaround late in extra time.

© IMAGO/Eibner-Pressefoto/Wolfgang Frank

Unfamiliar opposition

Braga and Freiburg meet for the first time on Thursday. The Portuguese side have won five of their 13 major European games against German opposition (D3 L5) but have yet to emerge victorious in a knockout-stage tie (D1 L3). As for Freiburg, their only previous encounter with a Portuguese club came in the 2013/14 Europa League group stage, when they drew twice with Estoril Praia (1-1 at home and 0-0 away).

© imago sportfotodienst

Uncharted territory

Freiburg are through to the semi-finals of a major European competition for the first time in their history. Die Breisgauer are the 26th German club to reach the last four of a UEFA tournament, and the first new side to do so since RB Leipzig made the semi-finals of the 2019/20 UEFA Champions League.

© IMAGO/JOERAN STEINSIEK

Hello and welcome!

Welcome along and thanks for joining us for build-up and live coverage of this UEFA Europa League semi-final first leg between Braga and Freiburg.

About the clubs

Freiburg

Europa-Park Stadion