Freiburg start Europa League campaign with narrow win

SC Freiburg opened their Europa League group stage campaign with a 2-1 win over Swiss side FC Basel on Wednesday evening.

The visitors nearly struck inside two minutes when Alban Ajeti's powerful header forced Freiburg goalkeeper Noah Atubolu into a sharp save. Freiburg took time to settle but gradually found their rhythm, with Johan Manzambi and Maximilian Eggestein showing early attacking intent without creating clear chances.

The breakthrough arrived on the half-hour mark. After pressing high, Freiburg regained possession through Manzambi, whose deflected pass fell kindly to Osterhage. On his Europa League debut, the midfielder kept his composure and drilled a low shot into the corner for 1-0. Basel responded strongly before the break, with Arlet Junior Ze denied from close range and Xherdan Shaqiri pulling the strings in midfield.

Freiburg doubled the lead shortly after halftime. Vincenzo Grifo delivered a trademark curling cross that Eggestein met with a header, the ball crossing the line despite goalkeeper Mirko Salvi's desperate attempt to claw it away in the 57th minute. With a two-goal cushion, Julian Schuster's side looked in control, limiting Basel to half chances while pushing for a third.

Missed opportunities to seal the game left Freiburg vulnerable, and Basel made them pay late on. Substitute Philip Otele produced the highlight of the night with a curling strike from the edge of the box into the far corner, reducing the deficit in the 84th minute.

Freiburg held firm in the closing minutes to secure three valuable points in their opening group fixture. The win extended their momentum after a league victory at the weekend and set up their next European clash away to Serie A side Bologna. Basel, meanwhile, will regroup quickly before facing VfB Stuttgart.

"The atmosphere was great right from the start. We went 2-0 up and although it ended 2-1, it was still an outstanding result. I'm very happy about the win. Basel is a quality team, and you really have to dig deep and fight your way into the game against them," said Osterhage.