SC Freiburg go into the Europa League final on 20 May as the competition’s unlikeliest finalists. A Bundesliga club without the financial muscle or European pedigree of their opponents, they have nonetheless beaten three sides across the knockout rounds with a level of control that has surprised almost everyone outside of south-west Germany. Those looking at the Freiburg vs Aston Villa odds will find Julian Schuster’s side as underdogs, which is a position they have navigated comfortably all the way to Istanbul.
Building through the league phase
Freiburg entered the competition in September 2025 and were methodical throughout the league phase, going unbeaten in seven of their eight matches. They opened with a 2-1 home win over Basel and followed it with a draw away at Bologna, which at the time looked like a reasonable point on the road. Wins over Utrecht, Nice and Salzburg kept them moving, and by the time they lost their final league outing to Lille, their place in the round of 16 was already secure. The loss barely mattered in the context of what came next.
Turning the tie around against Genk
The round of 16 handed Freiburg a difficult opening. They lost the first leg 1-0 away at Genk, leaving them needing a response at home. They delivered one in emphatic fashion, winning the second leg 5-1 to go through 5-2 on aggregate. It was the performance that put the wider competition on notice. Freiburg had shown they could absorb a first-leg defeat and come back with something considerably more commanding than the situation required.
Dismantling Celta Vigo
The quarter-finals were the clearest demonstration yet of what Schuster’s side are capable of. Freiburg won the first leg 3-0 at home against Celta Vigo, then completed a 6-1 aggregate with a 3-1 win in Spain. It was the joint-most one-sided quarter-final result in the competition and gave Freiburg a week’s rest before the last four with their squad in good shape and their confidence high. For anyone looking at Europa League final odds before kick-off, that quarter-final form is as strong a reference point as any from either side.
Edging past Braga
The semi-final against Braga proved the sternest test of the run. Freiburg travelled to Portugal for the first leg and lost 2-1, leaving them needing to overturn a deficit at home for the second time in the knockout rounds. As they had shown against Genk, the Schwarzwald-Stadion proved a different proposition. Freiburg won the second leg 3-1 to progress 4-3 on aggregate, with the crowd behind them from the first whistle. It was a night that showed the resilience at the core of this squad, one that keeps finding responses when results go against them on the road.
What to expect in Istanbul
Freiburg have now beaten Genk, Celta Vigo and Braga to reach a first major European final in the club’s history. They are organised, hard to break down, and capable of producing high-scoring performances at home. Unai Emery knows that better than most, and he acknowledged as much in the aftermath of Villa’s semi-final win, warning his squad not to underestimate a Bundesliga side who have earned their place in this final the hard way.