Portugal booked their place in the 2024-25 Nations League final after a 2-1 comeback win over Germany.
Cristiano Ronaldo became the hero when he scored the decisive goal to help Portugal win the match.
This is the second time Portugal have reached the final in Nations League history and are the first team to win the tournament.
After 6 years, Ronaldo and his teammates now have the opportunity to become the first team to win this tournament twice.
Portugal's final opponents in this season's Nations League will be the winners of the semi-final between Spain and France - two teams who have also won the tournament.
Back in the semi-final at the Allianz Arena, both Germany and Portugal entered the match with great determination to win. However, neither team could find the net in the first 45 minutes.
Right at the beginning of the second half, Florian Wirtz broke the balance with a dangerous header after a perfect pass from Kimmich, scoring the opening goal for the home team Germany.
After conceding the goal, Portugal increased the pressure as well as continuously adjusted personnel and one of the substituted players shone.
In the 63rd minute, new substitute Francisco Conceicao dribbled strongly and then shot from outside the penalty area to help Portugal equalize the score 1-1.
Less than 5 minutes later, Cristiano Ronaldo made his mark with the goal that sealed the 2-1 score for Portugal after a favorable cross from Nuno Mendes.
The win sends Portugal straight into the final, where they will face either France or Spain on June 9 at the Allianz Arena (Munich).
Notably, the victory at the Allianz Arena also had historical significance as it was the first time in 25 years that Portugal had defeated Germany in an official tournament and the first time they had won away from home since 1985.
Ronaldo sets new record in Nations League
The goal against Germany not only brought Portugal to the final but also helped Cristiano Ronaldo set another career record.
Specifically, Ronaldo broke the record for most goals scored in a Nations League A tournament, with 7 goals, surpassing the old record held by Romelu Lukaku and Ferran Torres in the 2021-22 season with 6 goals.
However, if counting all Nations League categories, Ronaldo is still 3 goals behind Viktor Gyokeres - who scored 10 goals to help Sweden gain promotion from Nations League C.
The strike was also the fourth time Ronaldo has helped Portugal reach a final, having done so in the past by scoring or assisting in the semi-finals.
At the age of 40, Cristiano Ronaldo shows that he still wants to continue conquering new heights in his career by playing with seemingly endless energy.
Ronaldo has now scored a total of 937 goals in his career, both for club and country. The goal against Germany was also Ronaldo's 137th for the "Seleccao" after 220 appearances - a record that is unlikely to be surpassed by any other player.
Remarkably, Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 85 goals for Portugal after turning 30 - a higher achievement than the all-time leading scorers of the national teams.
Last season, he also scored 35 goals in 41 matches in all competitions for Al Nassr club - an achievement that few people thought the star, who turned 40 this year, could do.
Ronaldo still has a chance to improve his achievements in this season's Nations League when his Portugal still has the final ahead.
Source: https://baodaknong.vn/ronaldo-ghi-ban-dua-bo-dao-nha-vao-chung-ket-nations-league-254950.html
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