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Freiburg vs. Braga
Freiburg looked on course to take a positive result from the first leg, with the contest finely poised at 1-1 after Vincenzo Grifo’s 16th-minute strike cancelled out Demir Ege Tıknaz’s early opener.Goalkeeper Noah Atubolu also came up big with a penalty save from Rodrigo Zalazar just before half-time to keep the Breisgau Brazilians in the tie, but despite that resilience, Julian Schuster’s side ultimately left Minho empty-handed after conceding a stoppage-time winner to Mario Dorgeles.That result marked a third successive defeat for the German outfit, who had already suffered heartbreak in extra time against Stuttgart in the DFB-Pokal before being comfortably beaten by Borussia Dortmund in the league.Freiburg did manage to halt that losing run on Sunday, when Philipp Lienhart’s 75th-minute equaliser rescued a 1-1 draw against relegation-threatened Wolfsburg, ensuring the Breisgau Brazilians moved up to seventh in the Bundesliga table. Freiburg’s encounter with Wolfsburg came with added concerns, as Yuito Suzuki was forced off late on following a collision, and the 24-year-old attacker has now been ruled out of this clash with a collarbone fracture.Centre-back Max Rosenfelder remains sidelined with a hamstring issue, while midfielder Patrick Osterhage continues his recovery from a serious knee injury, and Daniel-Kofi Kyereh is edging closer to full fitness, though this encounter might come early for the Ghanian midfielder.Grifo’s strike in the first leg was his fifth of the Europa League campaign, and the Italian will be looking to deliver once again, with three of those goals coming in the knockout rounds.
Braga, meanwhile, are closing in on another European qualification spot domestically, currently sitting fourth in the Primeira Liga table and five points clear of fifth with just two games remaining, following a 1-1 draw with Estoril Praia last weekend.Dorgeles was once again on target in that encounter, having opened the scoring in the 23rd minute, but a late equaliser from Yanis Begraoui ensured the points were shared, highlighting the Archbishops’ somewhat inconsistent run of form. Carlos Vicens’ men have managed just two wins from their last five matches in all competitions (D2, L1), though that patchy run is unlikely to dampen confidence heading into Thursday's encounter, especially given they have lost just one of their last nine games (W5, D3).The Archbishops have also shown notable resilience in the Europa League, losing just twice in their last 20 such outings (W14, D4), and it will come as little surprise if Braga press home their advantage, particularly after their impressive comeback win at Real Betis in the previous round.Braga also suffered a blow in the first leg, with captain Ricardo Horta forced off, and he is set to miss a second successive game after sitting out the weekend’s fixture, further adding to their injury concerns.The visitors will also be without Diego Rodrigues, Bright Arrey-Mbi, Adrian Barisic, Gabri Martínez, Florian Grillitsch and Sikou Niakate, all of whom remain sidelined, while Victor Gomez is a major doubt after missing the last outing.
First Leg Score: Freiburg1-2 Braga
Local Kick-off Time: 8:00 PM CEST (Central European Summer Time, Freiburg)
Venue: Europa-Park Stadion, Freiburg, Germany
Game Predictions: Click here
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Aston Villa vs. Nottingham Forest
After reaching the Conference League semis in 2024 and the Champions League quarter-finals last season, Aston Villa are aiming to take the next step and make their first continental final in a generation.Several decades have passed since Villa beat Bayern Munich in the 1982 European Cup decider, and that wait will go on should they fail to overturn a 1-0 deficit on Thursday.Last week, Nottingham Forest established a slender lead in their all-Midlands tie, as Chris Wood emphatically dispatched a second-half penalty after Lucas Digne had clearly handled the ball.Then, seeking to rest key men and rotate between two huge European fixtures, Unai Emery saw his second string beaten at home by relegation-haunted Tottenham Hotspur. His listless side managed just one touch in the Spurs box before half time and barely improved after the break, going down to a tame 2-1 defeat - their fifth loss in eight Premier League matches.Though the Villans have suffered three straight defeats for the first time since 2024, they are grimly clinging on to fifth place and still have Champions League qualification within their grasp.Now, they must switch focus to producing a second-leg fightback, having fared so well en route to the Europa League semis; Emery's men finished second in the league phase, before easing past Lille and Bologna.
Inevitably, all of Aston Villa's main men will return - particularly after Emery's reserves underwhelmed against Spurs - and Ollie Watkins leads that list.Villa captain John McGinn missed Sunday's defeat with a minor muscular problem, but he should be back in the hosts' squad on Thursday.However, Amadou Onana has failed to recover from a calf strain, Ross Barkley is ineligible and Boubacar Kamara is still injured.While Watkins is Villa's top scorer with four Europa League goals this season, Morgan Rogers has been directly involved in five goals from six home appearances so far.Villa captain John McGinn missed Sunday's defeat with a minor muscular problem, but he should be back in the hosts' squad on Thursday.However, Amadou Onana has failed to recover from a calf strain, Ross Barkley is ineligible and Boubacar Kamara is still injured.
However, much has changed since that 3-1 league loss for the Tricky Trees, with Vitor Pereira's arrival in February sparking an unexpected revival.The Portuguese coach took some time to win over sceptical supporters, but his methods eventually took hold and Forest are on fire.A stunning 10-game unbeaten run has not only eased relegation fears but also taken them to the very brink of a European final.Their best undefeated streak for a decade has featured seven wins and plenty of goals, and Forest moved six points clear of the Premier League drop zone by putting three past Chelsea on Monday.Despite Pereira also resting star players, Taiwo Awoniyi struck either side of an Igor Jesus spot kick, significantly boosting their fight for top-flight survival.Now, the East Midlands side will aim to finish the job they started last Thursday and progress from their first continental semi-final for 42 years.Pereira has already steered them past his former club Fenerbahce, plus Midtjylland and Porto to reach the last four, reigniting a dormant European tradition.
Nottingham Forest's Igor Jesus has been involved in the most away goals (five); he has also recorded the most shots (34) and shots on target (16) in the competition overall.The Brazilian striker partnered Awoniyi at Chelsea, but the latter is not on Forest's UEFA squad list, so Wood will lead their front line in Birmingham.Pereira made eight changes on Monday, with Luca Netz getting his first league start alongside several fringe players, but a cameo appearance by star man Morgan Gibbs-White could prove costly.Although the England international avoided concussion, he did sustain a deep cut after colliding with Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez.Forest were already without Ola Aina, Ibrahim Sangare and Murillo; Dan Ndoye is still a doubt, while Nicolo Savona, Callum Hudson-Odoi, John Victor and Willy Boly are all sidelined.
First Leg Score: Aston Villa 0-1 Nottingham Forest
Local Kick-off Time: 8:00 PM BST (British Summer Time, Birmingham)
Venue: Villa Park, Birmingham, England
- Game Predictions: Click here
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