Red-hot Freiburg thrash Celta Vigo to storm into Europa League semi-finals

[p]Despite having a three-goal deficit from the first leg, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/celta-vigo/8pvUZFhf/"]Celta[/a] surprisingly showed very little fight in the first half, and it was [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/freiburg/fiEQZ7C7/"]Freiburg[/a] who capitalised by putting the tie beyond any doubt.[/p][p]The visitors showed their intentions from the start, as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/manzambi-johan/pIqmcnKc/"]Johan Manzambi[/a] tried his luck from range but struck wide. Nevertheless, their next two efforts ended up in the back of the net, with the first one particularly spectacular.[/p][p][b]A long ball fell to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/makengo-jean-victor/KShf9Z3h/"]Jean-Victor Makengo[/a] to knock down, and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/matanovic-igor/j5PxPTVi/"]Igor Matanovic[/a] did the rest as he produced a sumptuous volley into the top corner for his third UEL goal this term.[/b][/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/suzuki-yuito/buidOiX4/"]Yuito Suzuki[/a] then matched his tally before the break by playing a neat one-two with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/beste-jan-niklas/YcZe7BNN/"]Jan-Niklas Beste[/a] prior to finding the bottom corner with the aid of a deflection off [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/alonso-marcos/MLHPrlrj/"]Marcos Alonso[/a]’s outstretched leg. [/b][/p][p]Freiburg had conceded a competition-low six goals before kick-off, and Celta needed to score as many in the second half alone to produce the comeback of all comebacks.[/p][image alt="Match momentum" id="bbeae270-8be8-447a-ad44-5c611214d2a7" credit-line="Opta by StatsPerform" guid="dd52e5b5-72d9-4076-9219-14ae82da6506" original-width="1920" original-height="1080" /][p]Instead, it was the Germans who filled their boots again to match the scoreline from the first leg, with Suzuki completing his brace. [/p][p][b]Manzambi did well to dribble towards goal and almost rounded [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/radu-andrei/4xYjfkEG/"]Ionut Radu[/a], but the ball broke to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/grifo-vincenzo/jBePSV5m/"]Vincenzo Grifo[/a], who laid off for Suzuki to place into the bottom corner.[/b][/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/aspas-iago/rVBGggAd/"]Iago Aspas[/a] searched for his seventh UEL goal contribution this season (G3, A3) to at least give Celta a consolation, but his free-kick curled just wide.[/p][p]Freiburg, meanwhile, were immediately dangerous down the other end, with two substitutes going close as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/holer-lucas/WrKkMeeL/"]Lucas Holer[/a] hit the post before [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/scherhant-derry/jRG1UH32/"]Derry Scherhant[/a] saw his rebound expertly tipped wide by Radu.[/p][embed guid="bff1f2fc-d077-4e82-8129-ef8fade986b4" url="https://x.com/EuropaLeague/status/2044848642125652192" social-type="twitter" /][p]For Celta, Fer Lopez flashed his effort inches past the post as his side were still unable to test [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/atubolu-noah/UwlvfZCm/"]Noah Atubolu[/a]. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/abdellaoui-jones/pbBnJ7TO/"]Jones El Abdellaoui[/a] did manage to do so a few minutes later, though, but Atubolu denied him from close range.[/p][p][b]Although they did show a little more fight in the final stages, even finding the back of the net through [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/swedberg-williot/KluZeL4G/"]Williot Swedberg[/a] in injury time, Celta were comfortably beaten as they conceded three goals for the third game in a row.[/b][/p][p]Freiburg’s defence, on the other hand, was only breached once throughout 180 minutes of this tie, and with just a second away victory in nine UEL matches (D3, L4), they sail safely through to the semi-finals of a UEFA competition for the first time in their history to go alongside their progression to the last four of the DFB-Pokal.[/p][p][b]Flashscore Man of the Match: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/suzuki-yuito/buidOiX4/"]Yuito Suzuki[/a] (Freiburg)[/b][/p][image alt="Key match stats" id="12ec9d2f-8792-40ae-8ba3-2a714af34c2b" credit-line="Opta by StatsPerform" guid="de66b945-021a-4e75-a607-764fab2460e0" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/celta-vigo-8pvUZFhf/freiburg-fiEQZ7C7/?mid=UgtAjVKP"]Click here for more on the match.[/a][/b][/p]