It was the moment of truth for a Braga side who, after back-to-back defeats, sat outside of the top 24 places and needed to win to give the Portuguese side an opportunity in the play-off round.
Even if progression was out of their own hands, Braga appeared determined to put up a fight and anxious home fans watched on in complete contrast to their Lazio counterparts, as the Italian spectators doted on their top-of-the-table side.
Perhaps fortunately for the faint-hearted, Braga calmed nerves after just six minutes when their captain Ricardo Horta side-footed in smartly from 12 yards out after some excellent buildup play from the hosts.
Lazio, missing several key players, were unable to lay a finger on their opponents, though they limited the Portuguese side to little else in the way of goalmouth action in a cagey remainder of the first half.
With all 18 UEL remaining ties being played simultaneously, there’s little doubt that the Braga players will have been aware that their slender lead granted them progression at the break.
Daft Punk’s ‘Get Lucky’ blared over the speakers as the players returned to the pitch and the hosts were perhaps fortunate that they faced a side already assured of progression in such a crucial contest, with Lazio doing little in an attempt to level the tie in a tame second half.
News that fellow Portuguese side Porto had scored reverberated around the stadium much to the disappointment of the home faithful - that strike had removed them from the play-off places. Braga were not fazed, however, and continued to defend bravely with Lazio failing to register a shot on target with an hour gone.
Braga stopper Lukáš Horníček was finally called into action by a lightning Gustav Isaksen strike as home fans held their collective breath with their side’s chances of progression now relying on goal difference.
Therefore, it was little surprise that Braga committed bodies forward in a desperate attempt for a decisive goal with Horta denied by Lazio's keeper after he was put through one-on-one with minutes to go.
With the home faithful desperate for a goal, Braga were agonisingly denied by the offside flag as the Portuguese side fell out of European competition in the cruellest of circumstances.