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SC Freiburg have booked their place in the league phase of the UEFA Europa Conference League after completing a 7-2 aggregate victory over Scottish Premiership outfit Motherwell FC. Last season’s Europa League finalists have still not managed to qualify for the Champions League, but this will now be their fourth European campaign in the last five years.

Freiburg went ahead early when Derry Scherhant finished from close range after an excellent through ball from Maximilian Eggestein beat Alex Paulsen. Motherwell were handed a route back into the match when a mistake from Mio Backhaus allowed Emmanuel Longelo to equalise on the night.

The stand-in for Noah Atubolu then kept out Sebastian Palmer-Houlden from what proved to be the visitors’ only other chance of the first half. As was the case last week, Yuito Suzuki was among Freiburg’s standout players and fashioned several openings after Motherwell had drawn level.

Making his first start of the season, Cyriaque Irie nearly restored the lead for Julian Schuster’s team with the final action of the first half, but his fierce effort crashed back off the crossbar.

Motherwell had played the final 25 minutes with ten men last week after Martin Moormann’s red card, and the same situation unfolded again, this time somewhat earlier in the second half. Australian defender Jake Girdwood-Reich was sent off for a last-man challenge on Scherhant.

Paulsen saved Scherhant’s effort from the resulting free-kick, but the 23-year-old winger then produced two assists from corners within the next five minutes. Igor Matanović struck first, before Irie scored his first Freiburg goal in the 63rd minute.

With Freiburg leading 6-2 on aggregate, Schuster was able to withdraw Suzuki, Matanović, Scherhant and Matthias Ginter ahead of Sunday’s Bundesliga opener against Werder Bremen. Within a matter of seconds, Motherwell were rescued twice by the woodwork, before substitute Vincenzo Grifo and Irie both had further clear-cut chances.

Keisuke Goto had scored seconds before the final whistle last week, and the Japanese new arrival repeated the feat with an excellent finish five minutes from time. The 21-year-old had also scored on his Europa League debut for Anderlecht against Hoffenheim in the 2024/25 season. Irie had one final chance before the tie ended, but he fired wide from close range after Grifo’s trademark delivery.

Freiburg will now be involved in tomorrow’s draw for the Conference League league phase. Hoffenheim and Bayer Leverkusen will likewise learn their Europa League opponents. Earlier on Thursday, FC Bayern, Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig and VfB Stuttgart discovered their Champions League pairings.