Cristiano Ronaldo scored again as Portugal came from behind to beat Germany 2-1 in their Nations League semifinal. The 40-year-old Ronaldo captained Portugal and scored his 137th international goal five minutes after substitute Francisco Conceição equalised with a blistering shot in the 63rd minute.
Ronaldo became the oldest player to ever score against Germany while ending his “curse” against them. The former Real Madrid star lost each of the previous five games he’d played against Germany. Liverpool target Florian Wirtz had given the home team a 48th-minute lead with a perfectly placed header inside the right post, but Portugal coach Roberto Martínez made his changes count as he brought on Conceição and Champions League winner Vitinha among the substitutes.
Vitinha excelled as Portugal finished the game in the ascendancy just four days after he helped Paris Saint-Germain win the Champions League final against Inter Milan in the same stadium on Saturday. Germany needed goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen at his best to prevent the visitors from scoring any more.
PSG wing backs João Neves and Nuno Mendes both started for Portugal, while Stuttgart forward Nick Woltemade started for his Germany debut. Conceição only needed five minutes to make a mark with a brilliant long-range strike inside the far post after he surged past Robin Gosens like he wasn’t there. Mendes gave Ronaldo a simple finish five minutes after that. “It could have been more,” Mendes said.
France plays Spain in Stuttgart on Thursday in the other semifinal.
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