Cristiano Ronaldo and Francisco Conceicao scored as Portugal came from behind to beat 2-1 in Wednesday’s Nations League semi-final in Munich.
looked set to face Spain or in Sunday’s final when Florian Wirtz – who is expected to leave Bayer Leverkusen for Liverpool in a deal worth more than £100million – nodded home early in the second half.
But substitute Conceicao scored a wonderful 63rd-minute equaliser for Portugal, then Ronaldo, having ed up a couple of earlier chances, tapped home to complete the turnaround and keep the Selecao’s hopes of a second Nations League title alive.
Portugal made the stronger start as Ronaldo pulled a left-footed effort straight at Marc-Andre ter Stegen, while the lively Pedro Neto fired over the crossbar after a driving run.
But soon came into the contest and were denied twice in three minutes by Diogo Costa. He tipped Nick Woltemade’s curler around his left post before springing the other way to turn Leon Goretzka’s strike away with an even more impressive stop.
Another opportunity was ed up by Ronaldo two minutes into the second half, then struck at the other end a minute later.
Wirtz recovered possession and drifted infield to find Joshua Kimmich, then ghosted into the box to nod the midfielder’s return into the bottom-right corner. Referee Slavko Vincic was sent to the VAR monitor to check if Woltemade interfered with play from an offside position, but he opted to award the goal.
Bruno Fernandes curled wide after a jinking run, but a triple substitution just before the hour breathed fresh life into Portugal’s hopes, with Conceicao stepping off the bench to whip a wonderful 20-yard effort into the far corner.
Five minutes after Conceicao’s leveller, Portugal were ahead. Fernandes’ released Nuno Mendes into the area, and Ronaldo just about stayed onside to tap his centre home.
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Conceicao almost made it a brace after a glorious run in the 82nd minute, and with the game stretched, Karim Adeyemi rattled the post at the other end just 37 seconds later.
Ter Stegen also made a brilliant double save to deny Diogo Jota and Conceicao, but Portugal ultimately did not need a third goal as they managed the dying stages expertly.
Data Debrief: Family affair for Conceicao as Portugal wait ends
Though it was Ronaldo’s 137th senior international strike that decided this semi-final, it was Conceicao’s wondergoal that sparked the turnaround.
Conceicao’s father Sergio – who was sacked as AC Milan’s head coach last week – scored a hat-trick when Portugal last defeated , in a 3-0 win at Euro 2000.
Portugal had lost their last five meetings with ahead of Wednesday’s game, with each of those losses coming at major tournaments (2006 World Cup, Euro 2008, Euro 2012, 2014 World Cup and Euro 2020).
Portugal’s fightback ensured Kimmich’s 100th appearance for , at the home of his club side Bayern Munich, was overshadowed.
Kimmich had earlier marked the occasion with an assist for Wirtz, meaning he has assisted each of ’s last five headed goals and 15 of 30 such goals since his 2016 international debut.
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