SC Freiburg reach Europa League semi-finals with commanding win over Celta Vigo
SC Freiburg have progressed to the UEFA Europa League semi-finals for the first time in their history, completing a comprehensive 6-1 aggregate victory over Spain's Celta Vigo. The Bundesliga side secured a 3-1 win in the second leg at the Estadio de Balaídos to confirm their place in the final four, where they will face the winner of the tie between Sporting Braga and Real Betis.
After protecting a 3-0 first-leg advantage, Freiburg effectively ended the contest with two goals in a decisive ten-minute spell before half-time. Striker Igor Matanovic opened the scoring with a spectacular long-range strike, which was confirmed after a VAR review for a potential offside in the build-up. Yuito Suzuki then doubled the lead on the night, his finish taking a slight deflection off Celta's Marcos Alonso to beat goalkeeper Ionuț Radu.
The Japanese midfielder Suzuki compounded Celta's misery shortly after the restart, completing his brace to make it 6-0 on aggregate. The goal originated from a saved effort by Vincenzo Grifo, with Suzuki reacting quickest to the rebound. Celta's Williot Swedberg scored a consolation in injury time, but it did little to dampen Freiburg's celebrations as they saw out a historic result.
According to UEFA statistics, Freiburg were clinical across both legs, scoring from all three of their major chances in the second match. The victory also carries significance in the race for an extra Champions League spot, as it delivers a valuable coefficient point for the Bundesliga in its battle with La Liga for fifth place in UEFA's rankings.
For manager Julian Schuster, the achievement marks a high point in his tenure, successfully navigating a European campaign alongside domestic duties. Freiburg's attention now briefly returns to the Bundesliga, where they face Heidenheim this weekend, before a DFB-Pokal semi-final clash against rivals Stuttgart next week. The European semi-final first leg is scheduled for early May, with Freiburg's opponents to be determined following Thursday's other quarter-final results.
