Freiburg keeper Noah Atubolu speaks on Europa League howler in opening leg semi-final loss against Braga

Freiburg head coach Julian Schuster, meanwhile, acknowledged the two poor defensive lapses that led to his team conceding on the evening in his own RTL post-match interview. Taking a page from his Bundesliga coaching colleague Vincent Kompany’s playbook, Schuster made sure to emphasize that much remained possible in front of the hometown fans at the Europa Park Stadion next week.

Noah Atubolu speaks on his howler

“To concede such an unnecessary goal is just incomprehensible,” Atubolu grumbled into the RTL microphone. “But. nothing is over yet. We’re making it hard on ourselves because we ran out of steam at the end. It was far too easy for them to play through.

“One problem is that I didn’t see the ball [clearly],” Atubolu continued. “The problem was that I didn’t see the ball. I think it was Philipp Lienhart who was standing almost in front of me or next to me. [All I could do] was get my hands up and brush it away.“

Julian Schuster still confident in Freiburg

“We didn’t defend well in those few moments, and that’s why we were punished,” Schuster said. “We can do better. We have to do better. That can’t happen to us. At home, with our fans, everything is still possible.“

Get German Football News | Peter Weis