Braga clinched a crucial 2-1 victory over Freiburg in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final on Thursday, 30th April, in Portugal. A dramatic stoppage-time winner from substitute Mario Dorgeles secured a slender advantage for the Portuguese side ahead of the return fixture.

The home side, Sporting Braga, took an early lead after just eight minutes when Turkish midfielder Demir Ege Tiknaz expertly converted Victor Gomez's low cross. However, Freiburg quickly responded, with Vincenzo Grifo capitalizing on a defensive mix-up to level the score eight minutes later, making it 1-1.

Braga faced a setback midway through the half when captain Ricardo Horta was forced off due to injury. Despite this, the Portuguese club had a golden opportunity to regain the lead from the penalty spot after Gustaf Lagerbielke was fouled by Freiburg defender Philipp Lienhart. English referee Anthony Taylor awarded the spot-kick after a VAR review.

Rodrigo Zalazar stepped up to take the penalty, but Freiburg goalkeeper Noah Atubolu produced a brilliant save, tipping the effort around the post. Atubolu's impressive stop marked his sixth penalty save from the last seven faced, denying Braga a crucial lead at that moment.

As the second half progressed, Freiburg, making their first appearance in a European semi-final, appeared to grow into the game and looked more likely to score. However, it was Braga's Mario Dorgeles who had the final say, converting a cutback from the byeline in stoppage time to ignite wild celebrations among the home fans in northern Portugal.

This 2-1 win gives Braga a narrow lead to defend when they travel to Freiburg's Europa-Park stadium for the second leg on Thursday, 7 May, at 20:00 BST. The winner of this tie will advance to face either Nottingham Forest or Aston Villa in the final, scheduled for Wednesday, 20 May, at 20:00, in Istanbul's Besiktas Stadium.