The semi-final first legs of the UEFA Europa League produced late drama and narrow margins as teams battled for a place in the final. SC Braga secured a 2–1 victory over SC Freiburg, with Mario Dorgeles scoring a stoppage-time winner to hand the hosts a slim advantage.
Braga had earlier taken the lead before Freiburg responded, and despite a missed penalty, the Portuguese side capitalised late on to edge the tie ahead of the return leg.
In the other semi-final, Nottingham Forest defeated Aston Villa 1–0 in a tightly contested all-English clash.
The decisive moment came in the second half when Chris Wood converted a penalty after a handball incident, giving Forest a crucial first-leg lead.
The match also featured strong goalkeeping performances and moments of controversy, leaving the tie finely balanced heading into the second leg.
Meanwhile, in the UEFA Europa Conference League semi-finals, results also remained competitive.
Crystal Palace claimed a 3–1 away win over Shakhtar Donetsk to take a strong advantage, while Rayo Vallecano edged Strasbourg 1–0. With second-leg matches still to come, all teams remain in contention as the race for European finals intensifies.
