Braga moved closer to a place in the Europa League final after a late 2-1 home win over Freiburg in the semi-final first leg, achieved despite an early injury to captain Ricardo Horta, with Mario Dorgeles scoring in stoppage time following a mistake by goalkeeper Noah Atubolu to set up a tense return in Germany.

Paulo Oliveira highlighted how Braga coped with losing Horta, who left the pitch in the first half. The defender said the group stayed calm under pressure and relied on habits built across the season. Oliveira also stressed that the squad trusted every player to step in when needed during big European matches.

Horta’s absence carried extra weight because the 31-year-old had been central to Braga’s Europa League campaign. Horta already had eight goal contributions in the competition this season, with four goals and four assists, and had produced 32 goal involvements overall for the club in the tournament since 2009-10, more than any other player for one team in that period.

Oliveira underlined that Braga’s collective mindset mattered as much as individual quality, especially when setbacks appeared. He told O Jogo: “During the game, with that event going against us, we had the personality and courage to play as we have been doing since June last year,” he said, as quoted by O Jogo. “We have assimilated processes to fight against these things. It seems that every matchday we lose a player, but another one rises!”

The first-leg success against Freiburg represented a rare positive start for Braga in recent Europa League knockout ties. Across their previous 12 such ties, Braga had only won the opening match three times, including 2-0 against Monaco and 1-0 versus Rangers in the last 16 and quarter-finals of the 2021-22 campaign.

Forward Pau Victor backed Oliveira’s view that squad depth drove Braga’s performance levels. Pau Victor said: “We have a very good squad, we have guys who play in many positions and several options when someone is not there. We don’t have essential players. It’s our secret. We have incredible fans who have been with us all season. Today, they showed what they are, they supported the team until the end, and we have to give back that environment with work, which is what they ask of us. They don’t ask for results, they ask for work, because that’s the only way the results come.”

Beyond the dressing room, Pau Victor felt the supporters influenced the contest in Portugal. The atmosphere stayed intense from kick-off until Dorgeles’ late goal. The forward believed that energy helped Braga maintain pressure, especially after Horta’s withdrawal, and argued that the crowd’s demands centred on effort rather than guarantees of victory.

Braga Europa League challenge grows in Freiburg

Despite holding a narrow lead, Oliveira remained cautious about Braga’s position before the second leg in Germany. Freiburg had won all six Europa League home games this season, a record that underlined the scale of Braga’s task, and Oliveira insisted that nobody within the squad viewed the tie as finished.

Looking ahead to the match in Germany, Oliveira warned against any sense of comfort. “Anyone who thinks that we are in the semi-finals, and that it will not be a tough game, is wrong,” he said. “We have a game to play, and we will go all out.” The defender expected another intense contest, with Braga again relying on collective resolve.