Portugal outclassed by Germany in Munich to set up tense finish to group stage - Euro 2020
Portugal fell to a 4-2 defeat in their second Euro 2020 group stage match as they were outplayed by a rampant German outfit.
It was a night to forget for Portugal, who went into the match on a high having beaten Hungary 3-0 in their opening fixture and safe in the knowledge that a point versus Germany would have guaranteed at least 3rd in the group and would have all but confirmed Portugal’s passage into the round of 16.
Instead, it was a night of disappointment, and ended in a defeat that marks the first time Portugal have conceded 4 goals in a single match since their 4-0 defeat versus Germany at the 2014 World Cup, having played 88 matches since that disappointing night 8 years ago without conceding any more than three.
Portugal were on the backfoot from the first minute, with Germany desperate to make amends for their opening day defeat versus France, and they were dominant immediately. They even found the opening goal inside the first 5 minutes, though VAR came to Portugal’s rescue by ruling the goal out for offside.
Germany kept coming though, and against the run of play, Portugal somehow found themselves in front, Ronaldo’s headed clearance from a German corner instigating a counter-attack led by the surging Bernardo Silva, whose delightful ball over the top fell to Diogo Jota, who calmly slotted the ball across the 6-yard box to Ronaldo for an easy tap-in.
No Portugal fan would have felt comfortable in that instance though, with Germany still looking rampant and attacking at will, while Portugal were set up in a particularly defensive manner, even by Fernando Santos’ Portugal’s standards.
And Germany eventually responded, Gosens finding himself in acres of space to smash the ball across goal, only for Ruben Dias to prod into the back of his own net in the 35th minute.
And things would go from bad to worse for Portugal before the break, Pepe failing to clear his lines four minutes later before Muller teased a ball into the box. It ended up falling to Kimmich, whose cross this time went in off Guerreiro for a second own goal of the evening.
Into the second half, there was a sense of relief that Portugal were only one goal down, with Germany having played them off the park in the opening 45 minutes, and it was only a matter of time before Germany extended their lead, Gosens again unmarked on the overlap with neither Semedo nor Renato Sanches picking up the man on the right flank, who was able to again whip the ball low and hard across the box for an easy finish for Havertz.
Before the hour mark, Germany made it four, Kimmich crossing in to Gosens, who headed home practically on the goal-line - and there was a fear that there could be something of a ‘Brazil 1-7 Germany’ scoreline beginning to emerge.
Portugal had a bit of fight left in them though, with a dangerous freekick whipped in from Moutinho finding its way to the back stick. Ronaldo just about kept the ball in play, looping the ball over Neuer for Diogo Jota to smash home. There was still hope for the Iberian nation.
And Portugal came very close to reducing Germany’s advantage even further, with Renato Sanches slamming a beautiful long-range effort into the post in the closing stages. That proved to be Portugal’s last good chance though, and they were unable to mount a serious comeback.
Portugal now sit 3rd in the group, and have work still to do with world champions France up next, who drew against Hungary in their second outing of the group stage. France will be keen on revenge too, having lost the final of this competition to Portugal 5 years ago on home soil.
Three points may be enough for Portugal to qualify for the group stage, though it is looking increasingly unlikely - and they may well need at least a point on the final day to sneak into the knockout stages as one of the four best 3rd-place sides.
Cristiano Ronaldo at the 2018 World Cup. Photo author: Анна Нэсси. License link.
