Freiburg host Celta Vigo at the Europa-Park Stadion on Thursday, 8 April 2026, in the first leg of a Europa League quarter-final that will send the winner into a last-four meeting with Braga or Real Betis. It is Freiburg’s first-ever European quarter-final, while Celta arrive chasing a place in their first Europa League semi-final in nine years.
Freiburg got here by finishing the league phase with five wins, two draws and one defeat in eight matches, which sent them straight to the last 16, where they overturned a 1-0 deficit against Genk with a 5-1 home win. Their home record in Europe has been a major part of the run: they have won each of their previous nine European outings at Europa-Park Stadion since a 2-1 loss to West Ham United in the 2023-24 group stage.
Celta’s route has been longer. They finished 16th in the league phase and went through the knockout phase playoffs, beating PAOK 3-1 on aggregate before eliminating Lyon with a 1-1 draw in Balaidos and a 2-0 win in France. Moussa Niakhate was sent off early in that second leg, but Javi Rueda and Ferran Jutgla still scored in France to seal the tie.
Both sides arrive in decent domestic form. Celta came from behind to beat Valencia 3-2 away on Sunday and sat sixth in La Liga, one point behind fifth-placed Real Betis after that result. Freiburg, by contrast, were left to absorb a 3-2 Bundesliga defeat to Bayern Munich on Saturday, when Bayern scored two stoppage-time goals to snatch the points.
There are also questions over Freiburg’s selection. They were without the injured Max Rosenfelder against Bayern, while Jordy Makengo and Patrick Osterhage were doubts after missing that match. Lucas Holer was also being assessed after appearing to pick up an injury late in the defeat. Vincenzo Grifo and Igor Matanovic should return after being benched at the weekend, giving Freiburg a fuller attacking hand for a tie that has quickly become one of the club’s biggest European nights.
Spanish opposition has not been common for Freiburg in Europe. Their last meeting with a team from Spain came in the 2013-14 Europa League group stage, when they lost 2-0 home and away to Sevilla, and this quarter-final now gives them a chance to push one step closer to a first major trophy. For Celta, the task is simpler to state and harder to complete: leave Germany with something to protect, and keep alive a route to their first Europa League semi-final in nine years.
