Lukas Kuebler scored in each half as Freiburg beat Braga 3-1 at home on Thursday to win 4-3 on aggregate and and qualify for the Europa League final where they will face Aston Villa.
Freiburg trailed by a goal from the opening leg but were given a leg up after seven minutes when Mario Dorgeles of Braga received a straight red card.
Kuebler’s opener and Johan Manzambi’s brilliant effort had the hosts 2-0 up and one ahead in the tie by half-time.
Kuebler added another in the second-half.
Pau Victor pulled one back for Braga late, Freiburg held on to reach a first European final.
Goalscorer Kuebler said the result was a “dream come true” and thanked the home fans.
Freiburg have never won a major trophy nor qualified for the Champions League but could do both with a win over Villa in the final in Istanbul.
Freiburg defender Matthias Ginter, who won the 2014 World Cup with Germany, said Thursday’s game was “the most important home match in the club’s history”, but called on his side to go one better in the final.
The defeat ended Braga’s hopes of returning to the Europa League final for the first time since 2011.
Locked at 1-1 for much of the opening leg, Braga winger Dorgeles’ late goal gave Braga a first-leg advantage.
Just seven minutes in, Dorgeles turned villain for the visitors, receiving a red card for a last-man foul.
The hosts took the lead with 19 minutes gone when Kuebler’s goal trickled in at the far post.
Manzambi’s curling strike gave Freiburg the lead in the tie.
Kuebler headed in a Vincenzo Grifo free-kick to give Freiburg a two-goal cushion.
With 11 minutes remaining, Victor headed in a cross to cut Freiburg’s lead.
At the final whistle, the Freiburg ultras stormed the pitch in celebration, reaching the second major final in their history, after the 2022 German Cup.