Estadio Municipal de Braga go host Europa League semi-final first leg between Braga and Freiburg on Thursday night. Di winner of dis two-legged contest go face either Nottingham Forest or Aston Villa for di final for Besiktas Park for Istanbul on May 20.
Fifteen years don pass since Braga lose Europa League final to Portuguese rivals Porto. Now dem dey prepare for dia second major European semi-final afta dem beat Real Betis 5-3 for aggregate for di quarter-finals earlier dis month.
Di Arsenalists don record seven wins from dia 12 matches for dis season competition, plus three draws and two losses. Dem include five victories for di road to finish sixth for di 36-team League Phase and a 4-0 second-leg triumph over Ferencvaros for di last 16.
Carlos Vicens, wey formerly be Pep Guardiola assistant for Manchester City, dey manage Braga. Di team don make notable impression for Europa League, keeping competition-high seven clean sheets. But inconsistent domestic form don leave dem far from Primeira Liga top three.
A seventh fourth-placed finish for nine seasons dey on cards for Braga afta 2-1 defeat to Santa Clara last weekend. Dem now dey 16 points behind Sporting Lisbon for third with only three league games remaining. So Braga fit be forgiven for throwing everything at dia Europa League semi-final.
Vicens side fit take confidence from dia four-game unbeaten home run against German opposition, with three wins and one draw. Dem don also win three of dia five European home games without conceding dis term, plus one draw and one loss.
Freiburg before dis campaign neva progress beyond last 16 of major European competition. But di Bundesliga club now find demsef competing for dia first-ever semi-final afta dem go from strength to strength under 41-year-old head coach Julian Schuster.
Breisgau-Brasilianer finish seventh for di 36-team League Phase, level on points with Braga for 17. Dem then thrash Genk 5-2 and Celta Vigo 6-1 for di last 16 and quarter-finals respectively. Di triumph over Celta Vigo na “very historic moment” according to Schuster, wey dey keen to maintain dia “great focus” for di latter stages.
Freiburg domestic form don recently dip though. A 2-1 semi-final defeat to Stuttgart for DFB-Pokal bin follow by heavy 4-0 away loss to Borussia Dortmund for Bundesliga last weekend. Dem dey eighth for di table and just outside European qualification spots on goal difference.
Di German outfit head into Thursday first leg having won just two of dia last nine Europa League away matches, with three draws and four losses. Dem fail to score for three of dia last four and lose two of dia last three without reply earlier dis year.
Freiburg only previous experience for Portugal na back for 2013-14 when dem play out goalless stalemate with Estoril for Europa League group stage. A similar result against Braga no go be di worst outcome for Schuster side before returning to home soil for next week second leg.
Braga go miss Diego Rodrigues wey get ankle problem, Sikou Niakate wey get Achilles injury and Adrian Leon Barisic wey get adductor problem. German midfielder Florian Grillitsch dey doubtful with knock wey e sustain against Santa Clara last weekend.
PSG loanee Gabriel Moscardo dey ruled out through suspension. So Leonardo Lelo or Paulo Oliveira fit start for di back three alongside Gustaf Lagerbielke and Vitor Carvalho. Rodrigo Zalazar don score team-high 23 goals for all competitions dis season. Di versatile attacker dey expected to start for di final third along with Pau Victor and Ricardo Horta, wey get four Europa League goals to im name.
For Freiburg, midfielder Patrick Osterhage don dey sidelined since end of March with knee injury. Defender Max Rosenfelder dey also out as e continue to recover from hamstring problem. Jordy Makengo miss defeat to Dortmund with thigh issue and e remain to see if e go ready to return on Thursday. Christian Gunter go continue at left-back if needed.
Vincenzo Grifo na Freiburg top scorer for all competitions with 13 goals and joint-top scorer for Europa League with Yuito Suzuki wey get four. Both players dey expected to start for attack along with Niklas Beste and central striker Igor Matanovic.
Both Braga and Freiburg dey keen to bounce back from domestic defeats last weekend. Dem go back demsef to come out on top for what fit prove to be tight first-leg affair. But di hosts defensive solidity fit just give dem di edge on dis occasion.
Do you have a news tip for NNN? Please email us at editor @ nnn.ng
