Munich, Germany – In a gripping second half of the UEFA Nations League semi-final, Portugal secured a dramatic 2-1 victory over Germany, with the decisive moments unfolding in the closing stages of the match.
Germany opened the scoring in the 49th minute when Florian Wirtz headed home a clever lobbed pass from Joshua Kimmich. After a brief VAR check for a potential offside involving Nick Woltemade, the goal stood.
Portugal responded in stunning fashion in the 64th minute. Francisco Conceição curled a beautiful shot into the top corner from 24 yards out, leveling the score at 1-1 and swinging momentum back to the visitors.
Cristiano Ronaldo then gave Portugal the lead in the 69th minute, tapping into an empty net after Pedro Neto sliced through the German defense and squared the ball perfectly.
Germany nearly equalized in the 84th minute when Karim Adeyemi’s thunderous strike rattled the near post. Minutes later, Portugal missed a golden opportunity to seal the game when Diogo Jota and Conceição were both denied by Marc-André ter Stegen in a frantic goalmouth scramble.
Tensions flared in the 86th minute after a foul led to a scuffle involving Wirtz, Niclas Füllkrug, and Rúben Dias, resulting in yellow cards for all three.
Portugal used all five substitutions, with João Palhinha replacing Ronaldo in the 90th minute as Roberto Martínez sought to lock down the result. Despite five minutes of added time and Germany’s desperate push, Portugal held firm.
The final whistle confirmed Portugal’s place in the Nations League final, while Germany was left to rue missed chances and a brave but fruitless second-half effort.
