In the UEFA Nations League semifinal held in Munich, Portugal staged a remarkable comeback to defeat Germany 2-1, securing their place in the final.
Here’s a tactical and performance-based analysis of the Germany vs. Portugal UEFA Nations League semifinal (June 4, 2025), which ended Portugal 2-1 Germany:
⚽ Match Summary
▪︎Germany: 1 (Florian Wirtz 48’)
▪︎Portugal: 2 (Francisco Conceição 63’, Cristiano Ronaldo 68’
🔍 Tactical Notes
▪︎Germany’s High Press: Worked early but tired legs in the second half allowed Portugal to play out more easily.
▪︎Portugal’s Wide Overloads: Conceição and Félix created numerical advantages out wide, which disrupted Germany’s defensive shape.
Decisive Substitutions:
▪︎Portugal: Martínez’s introduction of Conceição changed the game. His goal and energy flipped the momentum.
▪︎Germany: Substitutions like Goretzka and Adeyemi didn’t have the same impact.
⭐ Man of the Match: Diogo Costa (Portugal)
Kept Germany from taking a 2-0 lead with brilliant saves. Without his first-half heroics, Portugal wouldn’t have had the platform for the comeback.
🧠Conclusion
This was a game of two halves:
▪︎Germany looked sharper early on, but failed to capitalize.
▪︎Portugal showed why experience and bench depth matter—Martínez’s tactical adjustments, Ronaldo’s clinical finishing, and Costa’s saves were the keys.
