SC Freiburg edges Motherwell 2-1 in Conference League qualifier after VAR drama

Motherwell’s European adventure hit a speed bump at Fir Park on August 20, as SC Freiburg came away from Scotland with a 2-1 first-leg victory in the UEFA Conference League playoff round. The result hands the Bundesliga side a slim but meaningful advantage heading into the return leg on August 27.

The match turned on two connected moments: a VAR review that resulted in Motherwell defender Martin Moormann being shown a red card, and the subsequent penalty that Freiburg’s Matthias Ginter buried to help seal the win.

How the night unraveled for Motherwell

Motherwell had earned the right to host a Bundesliga club after dispatching HJK Helsinki 2-0 on aggregate in the previous round.

Moormann, the 25-year-old center back who arrived from Austrian side Blau-Weiss Linz during the summer transfer window, was dismissed following a VAR intervention. Ginter, the veteran German international who has spent chunks of his career at both Freiburg and Borussia Monchengladbach, stepped up to convert from the penalty spot.

Motherwell managed to find the net once, keeping the aggregate deficit at a single goal heading to Germany.

Freiburg’s European pedigree on display

The club finished seventh in the Bundesliga during the 2025/26 season. Their run to the Europa League final in 2024/25 ended in narrow defeat to Aston Villa.

The Conference League playoff represents the start of Freiburg’s 2026/27 European chapter. Winning it would grant passage into the competition’s league phase. Ginter’s penalty was characteristic of the composure Freiburg tend to bring to these situations.

What the second leg looks like for both sides

Motherwell travel to Germany on August 27 needing to overturn a one-goal deficit. If Moormann’s red card results in a suspension for the return fixture, Motherwell would be without the summer signing brought in to strengthen their backline.

Beating HJK Helsinki across two legs to reach a playoff against a Europa League finalist is a genuine achievement for a club of Motherwell’s resources.

For Freiburg, a draw of any scoreline in the return leg would see them through. Even a 1-0 loss would send the tie to extra time.

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