Egypt daily News – Portugal advanced to the final of the UEFA Nations League after a 2-1 comeback victory over Germany in the semi-final held at the Allianz Arena.
Match Summary:
Germany opened the scoring early in the second half. In the 49th minute, a clever lofted pass from Joshua Kimmich found Florian Wirtz, who headed the ball under the arm of Portuguese goalkeeper Diogo Costa to give Germany a 1-0 lead.
Portugal responded with two quick goals. The equalizer came in the 65th minute when Francisco Conceição scored after receiving a pass from defender Rúben Dias. Just four minutes later, Cristiano Ronaldo completed the turnaround with a precise finish in the 69th minute, putting Portugal ahead 2-1.
Key Match Moments:
- 4′ – Germany’s Leon Goretzka forced an early save from Diogo Costa with a strong effort.
- 7′ – Ronaldo replied with a shot from inside the box, which was saved by Marc-André ter Stegen.
- 11′ – Pedro Neto missed a close-range opportunity for Portugal, firing over the crossbar.
- 19′ – German forward Nick Woltemade had a one-on-one chance, but Costa made a superb save.
- 21′ – Another key save from Costa denied Goretzka from inside the penalty area.
- First half ended goalless, despite chances for both sides.
Starting Lineups:
Portugal:
- Goalkeeper: Diogo Costa
- Defense: Diogo Dalot, Rúben Dias, Gonçalo Inácio, Nuno Mendes
- Midfield: Bernardo Silva, Vitinha, Bruno Fernandes
- Attack: Pedro Neto, Cristiano Ronaldo, Francisco Trincão
Germany:
- Goalkeeper: Marc-André ter Stegen
- Defense: Joshua Kimmich, Jonathan Tah, Robin Koch, Waldemar Anton, Maximilian Mittelstädt
- Midfield: Aleksandar Pavlović, Leon Goretzka, Florian Wirtz
- Attack: Leroy Sané, Nick Woltemade
Path to the Semi-finals:
- Germany reached the semi-finals after a dramatic 5-4 aggregate win over Italy in the quarter-finals.
- Portugal advanced by beating their quarter-final opponent 5-3 on aggregate.
Upcoming Final:
Portugal will now face the winner of the France vs. Spain semi-final in the UEFA Nations League final, scheduled for Sunday, June 8, 2025, at 9:45 PM (Cairo and Mecca time).
The losers of the semi-finals (Germany and the loser of France vs. Spain) will contest the third-place match on the same day at 4:00 PM (Cairo and Mecca time).
