A stoppage-time winner from substitute Mario Dorgeles earned Braga a slender 2-1 advantage in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final against Freiburg in Portugal.
Braga took an eighth-minute lead when Turkish midfielder Demir Ege Tiknaz met Victor Gomez’s low cross into the penalty area and poked the ball into the bottom corner.
Freiburg took advantage of a collision between two Braga defenders to equalise eight minutes later – Jan-Niklas Beste raced through on goal and squared for Vincenzo Grifo to finish.
2011-12 runners-up Braga lost captain Ricardo Horta to injury midway through the half, but spurned a chance to retake the lead when awarded a penalty for a foul on Gustaf Lagerbielke by Freiburg defender Philipp Lienhart.
English referee Anthony Taylor awarded the spot-kick after consulting the pitchside monitor.
Freiburg goalkeeper Noah Atubolu brilliantly tipped Rodrigo Zalazar’s effort around the post, meaning the German has saved six of the past seven penalties he has faced.
The visitors, playing in a European semi-final for the first time, looked the more likely to score in the second half, but Dorgeles converted a cutback from the byeline to spark wild celebrations in northern Portugal.
The second leg will take place at Freiburg’s Europa-Park stadium on Thursday, 7 May (20:00 BST).
The winner will face Nottingham Forest or Aston Villa in the final at Besiktas Stadium, Istanbul, on Wednesday, 20 May (20:00).
