Freiburg are on the cusp of reaching their first-ever major European semi-final after defeating Celta Vigo 3-0 in their Europa League quarter-final first leg.

Captain Vincenzo Grifo led the way with a stunning finish before Niklas Beste and Matthias Ginter got in on the act to see the Bundesliga secure a healthy first-leg advantage at Europa-Park Stadion.

Freiburg went ahead after just 10 minutes as 20-year-old Johan Manzambi teed up Grifo on the edge of the box, and the Italian curled the ball around Ionut Radu and into the far corner.

Celta looked to work their way back into the game but found themselves 2-0 down shortly after the half-hour mark, with Igor Matanovic squaring the ball to Beste for a simple tap-in from inside the six-yard box.

Manzambi almost added a third just moments later after being played into the box by Yuito Suzuki, but the former could only strike the outside of the post from a tight angle as Celta found themselves under a lot of pressure.

And that pressure eventually told in the 78th minute, as Ginter rose highest to head Beste’s corner beyond Sergio Carreira on the line, allowing Freiburg to put one foot in the semi-final.

Freiburg dominate at home #UEL pic.twitter.com/y2Lvw5RDSF

— UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) April 9, 2026

Data Debrief: Impressive defence lays foundation for strong attack

Freiburg’s attacking prowess was matched at the back as Celta failed to attempt a shot on target; it’s the first time they failed to attempt a shot on goal in a game in the Europa League (since at least 2007).

Freiburg have now kept a clean sheet in five of their 11 Europa League games this season; only Aston Villa (six) and Sporting Braga (seven) have done this more often in 2025-26.

Overall, Freiburg produced 1.56 expected goals (xG) from 13 shots to Celta’s 0.58 from four attempts, with the Galician outfit’s European title hopes taking a serious blow.