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Cristiano Ronaldo scored the winning goal as Portugal came from behind to beat Germany 2-1 in the UEFA Nations League semifinal in Munich on Wednesday. The win ended Germany’s hopes of reaching the tournament final for the first time.
The match started with a 10-minute delay due to a hailstorm. Once it kicked off, Germany looked more settled in the early stages. Leon Goretzka tested Portugal goalkeeper Diogo Costa with a strong shot, and debutant Nick Woltemade linked up well with Aleksandar Pavlovic to create another chance.
But Portugal quickly found their rhythm. Pedro Neto’s speed caused problems for Germany’s defense, and Cristiano Ronaldo forced two saves from German goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen. This was Ter Stegen’s first game back after a long injury break.
Germany took the lead shortly after halftime. Florian Wirtz made a well-timed run and headed in a pass from Joshua Kimmich to put the hosts ahead 1-0.
However, Portugal responded strongly. Just minutes after coming on, Francisco Conceicao scored a brilliant solo goal. He cut inside from the wing and curled a shot into the far corner, making it 1-1.
Portugal kept up the pressure, and soon they were ahead. Bruno Fernandes and Nuno Mendes combined with a quick one-two pass that broke through the German defense. Mendes then crossed the ball low into the box, and Ronaldo tapped it in to make it 2-1. At 40 years and 119 days old, Ronaldo became the oldest player to score against Germany.
Germany tried to fight back by bringing on attackers like Karim Adeyemi and Niclas Fullkrug. Adeyemi came close to scoring but hit the post in the 82nd minute. Portugal also had chances to extend their lead, but Ter Stegen made good saves from Conceicao and Diogo Jota.
In the end, Portugal held on to their lead and secured a place in the final. Germany will now play in the third-place match on Sunday.
After the match, Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann admitted his team did not perform well. “We started strong and got the lead, but we lost control after that,” he said. “Against a team like Portugal, you can’t afford to be slow in transition. This loss hurts, but we must learn from it.”
Portugal coach Roberto Martinez was full of praise for his team. “I’m very happy. This was a big game against a strong German team, and we were playing away from home. Beating Germany for the first time in 25 years is a great achievement,” he said. “Coming back from 1-0 down to win shows the character of this team.”
Portugal will now look forward to the final, where they’ll have a chance to win the UEFA Nations League title.