Portugal overcomes Germany barrier, with Ronaldo leading them to Nations League finals
In an electrifying match, Ronaldo knocked his 137th international goal in, breaking a record and securing Portugal's first win after five defeats against Germany. This historic triumph marked the 40-year-old's longest losing streak against any national side.
In the first half, things got off to a slow start, but Florian Wirtz dazzled everyone with a brilliant individual effort, putting Germany in the lead. However, Portugal fought back, thanks to a remarkable solo goal by Francisco Conceicao, honoring his late father Sergio, who scored a hat-trick in Portugal's last victory over Germany in 2000.
The stage was then set for the legend himself, as Ronaldo made amends for his earlier missed opportunities, tucking away Nuno Mendes' pass for the game-winning goal. Portugal, winners of the inaugural Nations League in 2019, will now face either Spain or France in the final at the same venue.
Portuguese midfielder Bernardo Silva celebrated Ronaldo's relentless passion for the game. "It's never easy — I don't know how old he is, I think he's like 40 — to still be hungry to go on every day," Silva remarked. "We're very happy to have him with us."
The loss was a setback for Germany, who, before this match, had only lost one of their previous 17 games under Julian Nagelsmann. "It was a deserved defeat," Nagelsmann said. "We gave the game away in the first half. Defensively we lacked the ruthlessness that we've had in recent games."
Germany struggled to find their rhythm early, with Portugal's pressing tactic unsettling their backline. The match kicked off 10 minutes late due to a violent storm, but the gritty Portuguese team managed to hold their ground against an opponents who had four players returning from the Champions League final celebrations.
One of Germany's best chances in the opening half fell to debutant Nick Woltemade, but his shot was well saved by Diogo Costa. Ronaldo had a near miss as well, but it was Germany's Wirtz who expertly scored with a low header to put them in the lead.
Both sides made changes on the 60-minute mark, but it was Portugal's substitution of Francisco Conceicao that had the biggest impact. He shed Robin Gosens near the halfway line and advanced goalwards before unleashing a stunning curling shot past Ter Stegen to level the scoreline.
Ronaldo then scored the game-winner, tapping in a Nuno Mendes pass to make up for his earlier misses. Germany's Karim Adeyemi came close to scoring the equalizer, rattling the crossbar with eight minutes remaining, but they couldn't find the back of the net again, settling for a third-place match in Stuttgart on Sunday.
In short, in a competitive match, Portugal beat Germany for the first time in years, with Cristiano Ronaldo scoring the winning goal. This victory will bring confidence to the Portuguese team as they prepare for their upcoming final in the UEFA Nations League.
In European-leagues football, Portugal will face Spain or France in the final of the UEFA Nations League, following their victory against Germany, a team that had only lost one game out of their previous 17. Cristiano Ronaldo, the Portuguese star, scored the game-winning goal in this match, breaking a record and securing Portugal's first win after five consecutive defeats against Germany. This triumph, played in the Premier League, proved that Portugal can compete at the international level, showcasing their resilience in sports like football.
