Freiburg and Villa to clash in Europa League final after comebacks
Freiburg's Lukas Kuebler scores his side's third goal with a header during the UEFA Europa League semi-final seond leg soccer match between SC Freiburg and SC Braga at Europa Park Stadium. Philipp von Ditfurth/dpa Germany's Freiburg benefitted from an early red card for visitors Braga on Thursday to sweep into the Europa League final where they will meet Aston Villa. Freiburg have never been in a European final and never won a major trophy.
But their initial dreams came true after the seventh-minute dismissal of Mario Dorgeles opened the door for Lukas Kübler's brace and Johan Manzambi to seal a 3-1 win and 4-3 comeback on aggregate. Villa were trailing 1-0 to Premier League rivals Nottingham Forest from last week's first leg and the Birmingham side also turned it around thanks to Ollie Watkins, Emiliano Buendía and John McGinn's double for a 4-1 aggregate triumph. Buendía's brilliant run assisted Watkins, complete with head-bandage, for the first-half opener while the diminutive Spaniard converted a penalty in the second period and McGinn scored two in three minutes.
The two semi comebacks set up a final clash in Istanbul on May 20. Villa's last continental final was when winning the 1982 European Cup. Coach Unai Emery is chasing a fifth Europa League title having clinched three with Sevilla and one with Villarreal.
Forest had been hoping for a first European final since 1980 when Brian Clough led them to successive European Cups, but instead are left to concentrate on Premier League survival. Braga, who won the first leg against Freiburg 2-1 at home, lost the Europa League final to Porto in 2011 and they will have to wait for another appearance. Winning the Europa League offers a place in next season's Champions League.
Freiburg's Philipp Treu and Braga's Rodrigo Zalazar (L) battle for the ball during the UEFA Europa League semi-final second leg soccer match between SC Freiburg and SC Braga at Europa Park Stadium. Philipp von Ditfurth/dpa Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins (L) and Nottingham Forest's Nikola Milenkovic battle for the ball during the UEFA Europa League semi-final second leg soccer match between Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest at Villa Park. Mike Egerton/PA Wire/dpa Nottingham Forest's Omari Hutchinson (L) and Aston Villa's Lucas Digne battle for the ball during the UEFA Europa League semi-final second leg soccer match between Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest at Villa Park.