Europa League: SC Freiburg cannot save the victory over time

SC Freiburg has to settle for a point in the last group game in the Europa League at Qarabag Agdam. In the hard-fought game, the VAR had to intervene four times.

The second suit still tweaks and wobbles a bit. Nevertheless, the B-Elf of SC Freiburg was able to take a point in the last group game of the Europa League at Qarabag Agdam. Nils Petersen (25th) and Owusu Kwabena scored in the hard-fought 1-1 (1-0) in which the sports club was quite lucky. “We played against a very strong opponent. In the end you have to say that we got a lucky point. I can only compliment Karabakh,” said Freiburg coach Streich.

The SC Freiburg stood already before the game as group winners in the round of 16 of the Europa League. Therefore, coach Christian Streich took the opportunity to rest his regular players, who had been under a lot of pressure lately. Qarabag had to hold his ground against FC Nantes in a long-distance duel for second place. Accordingly, the Azerbaijani attacked the Freiburg goal briskly.

Petersen shoots SC Freiburg in the lead

Noah Atubolu guarded that. And he had to distinguish himself for the first time in the 6th minute. After Lukas Höler lost the ball on the edge of the penalty area, the Brazilian Kady immediately took aim. But the 20-year-old keeper, who otherwise plays for SC Freiburg II in the 3rd division, was able to parry. Qarabag remained superior without being able to create any further chances.

Referee Alexej Kulbakow from Belarus gave a free kick after Bahlul Mustafazada fouled Kevin Schade. After being checked by the video assistant (VAR), he corrected his penalty decision. Nils Petersen stepped up and, with a bit of luck, scored – Qarabag’s goalkeeper Sharudin Magomedaliyev was still there – to give Freiburg a 1-0 lead (25′). It was Petersen’s first competitive goal of the current season. That was also the halftime score.

The VAR saves SC Freiburg from equalizing

Freiburg was lucky after the break: Marko Vesovic fell after a duel with Hugo Siquet in the Freiburg penalty area, referee Kulbakow immediately awarded a penalty. VAR corrected the decision again, because the North Macedonian was previously offside (50′). Vesovic’s supposed equalizer was also denied by VAR (54′). And at the latest after the Qarabag defender Mustafazada, who had hurried along, failed to get the ball into the empty Freiburg goal after a pass from Kuby from three meters, it was also clear to the last Freiburger that the sports club had to change something if he played as a Winner wants to leave the field.

But in the middle of this urge phase, Qarabag decimated himself. Kevin Schade appeared after one of the few Freiburg counterattacks on the Azerbaijani’s 16 and was fouled rudely by Kevin David Medina. Referee Kulbakow initially showed yellow; but after watching the scene again in the review area, Kulbakov dismissed the Colombian (62′). But even with ten men, Qarabag was the better team and the newly formed Freiburg defense was not always solid.

Freiburg fans dream of FC Barcelona in the round of 16

Atubolu had to show all his skills to prevent Abdellah Zoubir from equalizing (70′). That only came in injury time through Owusu Kwabena, who headed in after a nice cross from Tural Bayramov to make it 1-1. However, the goal came too late. And because FC Nantes triumphed 2-0 in the parallel game at Olympiacos Piraeus, Qarabag Agdam’s Europa League trip is over. The team of trainer Gurban Gurbanov plays third in the group in the intermediate round of the Europa Conference League.

Freiburg plays against 1. FC Köln on Sunday. A draw will be made in Nyon on Friday, February 24, 2023 against who the people of Breisgau have to play in the round of 16. The Freiburg fans meanwhile dream of FC Barcelona.