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Germany fails in the Nations League semi-finals against Portugal!
Germany lost 2-1 to Portugal in the semi-finals of the UEFA Nations League on June 5, 2025. Ter Stegen celebrated his comeback.
Germany fails in the Nations League semi-finals against Portugal!
In the semi-finals of the UEFA Nations League, the German national team suffered a disappointing defeat against Portugal in Munich on June 5, 2025. The game ended 1-2 after Germany initially took the lead. A look back at the game shows that coach Roberto Martínez's protégés became much more aggressive in attack after falling behind early on, but were unable to show enough penetration.
Marc-André ter Stegen celebrated his comeback in the German goal after a nine-month injury break. Ter Stegen was challenged in the first half as Portugal missed several chances. For example, the goalkeeper was able to save a shot from Cristiano Ronaldo. Nevertheless, it was his mistake that led to the Portuguese equalizing when Conceição sent the ball into the far corner with a shot from 17 meters in the 63rd minute while Ter Stegen was not optimally positioned.
The gameplay
At the start of the game, Germany had a first opportunity with Leon Goretzka, but it was saved by Diogo Costa, the Portuguese goalkeeper. Portugal quickly made it clear that they wanted to gain the upper hand and were more creative in their offensive actions. In the 48th minute it was Florian Wirtz who headed Germany 1-0 after a cross from Joshua Kimmich. A VAR review confirmed the goal was legal despite Nick Woltemade being offside.
Portugal did not let this deficit discourage them and continued to push for an equalizer. Coach Martínez's impending changes, particularly involving substitute Conceição, proved crucial. The player made it 1-1 in the 68th minute, followed by Ronaldo's opening goal five minutes later when he pushed a pass from Nuno Mendes unhindered into the goal.
Goalkeeping quality and statistics
The exciting comparison between the two goalkeepers shows the decisive moments in the game. The following comparison format shows the statistics of both players:
| goalkeeper | Goals conceded | Total shots on goal | Shots on goal | Parades | Shots made (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marc-André ter Stegen | 2 | 17 | 6 | 4 | 67% |
| Diogo Costa | 1 | 17 | 5 | 8 | 80% |
Ter Stegen made several strong saves overall, including a decisive one on a double chance in the final minutes that would have prevented a bigger defeat. However, the question of consistency and the missing key players such as Schlotterbeck, Rüdiger, Musiala and Havertz remain, which significantly weakened Germany in an important game.
This defeat marks the end of Germany's Nations League campaign, after they had already been eliminated by Spain in the quarter-finals of Euro 2024. Portugal, on the other hand, will advance to the final, where they will now face Spain or France. [torwart.de]. mundodeportivo.com details the key events and changes that influenced the game.