SC Freiburg earned a narrow 1-0 advantage in their UEFA Europa League knockout round play-off first leg against Maccabi Tel Aviv on January 23, 2026. The German side will take a slender lead to Israel after a hard-fought victory at the Europa-Park Stadion. The only goal of the game came in the second half from a deflected shot that wrong-footed the Maccabi goalkeeper. Freiburg created the better chances throughout but were unable to add a second goal to make the match result more comfortable. Maccabi Tel Aviv defended resolutely and posed a threat on the counter-attack, ensuring the tie remains wide open heading into the second leg. Freiburg's manager expressed satisfaction with the win but frustration at not scoring more, while the Maccabi coach remained optimistic about his team's chances of overturning the deficit at home.