2 against Portugal, Cristiano Ronaldo ends the title dreams

The final tournament of the Nations League, titled as a mini-European championship, will not end with a title for the German national team. At the semi-finals against Portugal, the Nagelsmann team lost 1-2 after the tour. It was the first defeat against Portugal in 25 years. The Iberers are moving into the final, while DFB plays third in Stuttgart on Sunday for third place against the loser of the game between France and Spain that faces each other on Thursday evening.

The weather conditions were anything but inviting: Because of a violent storm above Munich With hagails and space rain, the start of the game was postponed by ten minutes. This also remained a little more time to honor the German captain Joshua Kimmich before kick -off: the Munich player completed his 100th international match for Germany – a brand that only reached 13 players in front of him. On Kimmich’s side there were some rather unusual names in the DFB jersey. In the defense series, for example, Robin Koch and Waldemar Anton ran alongside Jonathan Tah. National coach Julian Nagelsmann had been forced to change personnel because a real flood had suffered him. The Stuttgart Nick Woltemade also made his debut in the storm center because Tim Kleindienn, Jonathan Burkardt and Kai Havertz had to cancel three attackers due to injury.

Game against Portugal: Germany at the beginning had the best chance through Woltemade

Two veterans on the DFB side were responsible for the first chance of the game: After a pass from Florian Wirtz, Kimmich had prevailed on the right and played Leon Goretza. It was relatively freely in the Portuguese penalty area, but did not get the shot powerfully enough on goal (4th). On the other hand, Cristiano Ronaldo recorded the first opportunity. After a ball loss of Tah, Pedro Neto had served on the left and used CR7 (7th). Both sides played at an enormous pace, but maybe because of that many playback errors and inaccuracies. Even the allusions of the otherwise ball-proof Marc-Andre Ter Stegen, who did his first international match since the injury break, did not always come.

Nevertheless: significantly more danger came from the German selection. First, debutant Woltemade had the huge chance after a combination with Aleksandar Pavlovic (19th). Then Leon Goretzka was not much missing from a shot from 13 meters (21st). In both cases, Portugal’s goalkeeper Diogo Costa was on hand with parades. After that there was only a little left, the error rate was high of both teams. The result: at the break it went goalless into the cabin – and national coach Nagelsmann was visibly in a hurry to get into the cabin. Apparently there was a lot to discuss.

Nations League: Florian Wirtz hits the lead by head

It continued with no personnel changes – but all the more brilliant. First, Ter Stegen held against Ronaldo (47th), then a playful cream provided the German cheers: Jubilee Kimmich found the Wirtz sprinted into the penalty area-and the still Leverkusen nodded butter-soft for the lead-1: 0 (48th). The goal also survived an exam for the offside position: Woltemade was offside, but according to Referee Slavko Vincic did not take into account.

Portugal now put more pressure on, for example through Bruno Fernandes by a long -range shot. After an hour, Nagelsmann changed the staff composition: Füllkrug, Gosens and Gnabry came for Woltemade, Mittelstädt and Sané. However, a substitute of the guests should meet: Francisco Conceição took advantage of one of the many gaps in the DFB defensive and met fantastically by Schlenzer (63.). Goals against Germany seem to be a family specialty: Father Sérgio Conceição had given Portugal, 3-0 at the EM 2000, all three goals.

Substitute Adeyemi met the post

The gate inspired Portugal: a little later the doorbell rang again in the German box. After a double pass between Bruno Fernandes and Nuno Mendes, the latter put on the center of the penalty area-and there Cristiano Ronaldo pushed into 1-2 (68th). It was the 137th goal in the 220th international match of the 40-year-old. Germany now ran on and hit the post (82nd) ​​through the substitute Karim Adeyemi. Portugal, on the other hand, was dangerous for counterattacks. Above all, the fast Francisco Conceição was a permanent troublemaker and should have scored the third goal in the move, but Ter Stegen held his team with a world -class parade (89th). In the end it should no longer make a difference, a little later it was over.