Cristiano Ronaldo came up with another moment of history, scoring the match-winner as Portugal fought back from a first-minute deficit to beat Germany 2-1 in the UEFA Nations League semifinal, ending the host country's dreams of qualifying for the first time.
The game, rescheduled for ten minutes after an unexpected hailstorm, began with Germany taking the early initiative. Leon Goretzka made a save from Diogo Costa, while new signing Nick Woltemade collaborated seamlessly with Aleksandar Pavlovic to create another threatening opportunity.
But after Portugal got into its rhythm, the momentum began to change. Pedro Neto's thrilling pace caused problems repeatedly for the German defense, and Ronaldo tested Marc-André ter Stegen twice, who made his return after an extended injury layoff, according to Xinhua.
Germany eventually broke the impasse soon after halftime. Florian Wirtz timed a run to perfection to head a lofted pass from Joshua Kimmich into the bottom corner of the net to put his team ahead 1-0.
That lead did not last long. Substitute Francisco Conceição injected life into the visitors soon after entering the field, cutting inside and curling a superb shot past Ter Stegen to bring the teams level.
Portugal hit back soon. A swift exchange between Bruno Fernandes and Nuno Mendes cut through Germany's defense, and Mendes'forceful cross was completed by Ronaldo. At 40 years and 119 days old, the all-time great became the oldest player to have scored against Germany in an international game.
Germany reacted by introducing strikers such as Karim Adeyemi and Niclas Füllkrug, but the hosts could not muster any decent opportunities. Adeyemi was the closest to saving a point, striking the post in the 82nd minute. At the other end, Ter Stegen was once again forced into action, producing acrobatic saves to thwart Conceição and Diogo Jota and leave the game alive.
In spite of their late surge, Germany came up short and will play Sunday's third-place game. Portugal, however, advances to the final with newfound energy.
Looking back at the performance, Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann conceded, "It was definitely one of our poorest performances in recent years. We did not always attack with enough determination. We played well initially and scored a well-deserved goal but then did much too little.". Against a side such as Portugal, if you are not quick in transitions, you pay the price. We have to be at 100% if we want to be part of the best in Europe. This loss stings, but we have to learn from it."
Portugal manager Roberto Martinez was delighted with the resilience of his side: "I'm really pleased. This was a big game against a high-class Germany team, and away from home to boot. To win in Germany for the first time in 25 years is a lot. Converting a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 victory is testament to what this team is all about.
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