Cristiano Ronaldo once again proved decisive on the international stage, scoring the winner as Portugal came from behind to defeat Germany 2-1 and book a place in the UEFA Nations League final. The match, played at Munich’s Allianz Arena, saw Portugal overturn a 1-0 deficit with two quick goals in the second half.
Germany took the lead just after the break through Florian Wirtz, who headed in from a lofted Joshua Kimmich assist. The goal, however, was surrounded by controversy as Portugal protested a possible obstruction by German debutant Nick Woltemade, though a VAR review upheld the decision.
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Portugal responded strongly, with substitute Francisco Conceição leveling in the 63rd minute. The young winger, son of former Portuguese international Sérgio Conceição, scored just five minutes after coming on, curling in a superb finish after a solo run down the right.
Only moments later, Cristiano Ronaldo netted his 137th international goal, his 220th appearance for Portugal by tapping in Nuno Mendes’ precise low cross. The 40-year-old’s goal would prove to be the difference as Germany failed to recover.
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Karim Adeyemi came close to equalizing for the hosts, hitting the post late in the match, but Portugal held on to register their first competitive win over Germany since Euro 2000 when Conceição’s father famously scored a hat-trick.
Portugal will now face the winner of Thursday’s semi-final between France and Spain in Sunday’s final. With Ronaldo leading the charge and young talents like Conceição stepping up, coach Roberto Martinez’s side looks poised for another shot at Nations League glory, having won the inaugural title in 2019.
