Dorgeles' stoppage-time winner gives Braga a 2-1 lead over Freiburg in Europa League semi
Mario Dorgeles came off the bench to settle a tight Europa League semi-final first leg, the Braga substitute pouncing in the 92nd minute as the Portuguese side beat Freiburg 2-1 at home on Thursday and took a one-goal advantage to Germany.
It was a result Carlos Vicens' team threatened from the eighth minute. Demir Ege Tiknaz reacted quickest to a Victor Gomez delivery to slide the ball past Noah Atubolu, and the early opener felt like the springboard for a comfortable evening. Freiburg had other ideas. Vincenzo Grifo, picked out by Jan-Niklas Beste from the right edge of the box in the 16th minute, finished calmly across goal for another Europa League strike this campaign.
A penalty miss kept the door open
The decisive moment of the first half wasn't a goal. VAR sent the referee to the monitor for a Philipp Lienhart foul on Gustaf Lagerbielke, and Braga had a penalty in stoppage time before the break. A Freiburg midfielder stepped up, and Atubolu sprung to his right, palming away the kick that would have given the home side a half-time lead.
What followed was a flatter second period, both teams trading possession without genuinely opening the other up. Carlos Vicens turned to his bench, and Dorgeles came on for Ricardo Horta with the game heading toward a draw.
Atubolu's slip writes the script
The winner came from a Vitor Carvalho shot Atubolu probably wishes he had taken cleanly. The Freiburg goalkeeper, who had been the home side's biggest obstacle to that point, could only parry the strike into Dorgeles' path. From close range there was nothing left to do but tap it in. Two minutes into added time, Braga had a 2-1 lead in the tie.
The result puts Braga in their first European semi-final since 2010-11, when they lost the Europa League final to fellow Portuguese side Porto. They are also the first club from Portugal to reach this stage of a continental competition since 2014. Freiburg, meanwhile, had already gone past the round of 16 for the first time in their history before this trip; the second leg at home next Thursday is a chance to do something else they have never done.
The return is on May 7 in Germany, with the winner heading to Istanbul on May 20 to face either Nottingham Forest or Aston Villa, who play their second leg the same week.
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