BRAGA, Portugal, April 30 (Reuters) - ⁠Mario Dorgeles struck a dramatic stoppage-time winner to give ⁠Braga a 2-1 win over Freiburg in the first leg ‌of their Europa League semi-final on Thursday, giving the Portuguese hosts a slender advantage for next week's return fixture in Germany.

Braga, the first Portuguese club to ​feature in a continental semi-final since 2014, ⁠are seeking to reach ⁠the Europa League final again, 15 years after their defeat by Porto, ⁠while ‌Freiburg have already rewritten club history this campaign after never previously progressing beyond the round of 16.

Cheered on ⁠by loud home fans, Braga took an early ​lead through Demir ‌Ege Tiknaz, who converted a Victor Gomez delivery with a ⁠close-range finish ​in the eighth minute.

The visitors responded in the 16th minute through a composed Vincenzo Grifo finish, following a Braga lapse in midfield that ⁠allowed Jan-Niklas Beste to charge clear and ​provide the assist.

Braga missed a chance to lead at the interval after Philipp Lienhart fouled Gustaf Lagerbielke in the area but Rodrigo Zalazar’s ⁠stoppage-time penalty was expertly saved by goalkeeper Noah Atubolu.

A physical second half appeared destined for a stalemate until the dying moments when Dorgeles pounced on a loose ball to score from close ​range after Atubolu spilled a long-distance strike.

The ⁠second leg will be played next Thursday at Stadion am Wolfswinkel, before ​the final takes place at Istanbul’s ‌Besiktas Park on May 20 where ​the winners will face either Aston Villa or Nottingham Forest.

(Reporting by Tommy Lund in Gdansk; editing by Clare Fallon)