Nations League roundup: Trincão fires Portugal through to set up Germany semi-final

The Guardian

23-03-2025

Francisco Trincão came off the bench to score twice and Cristiano Ronaldo also found the net as Portugal defeated Denmark 5-2 after extra time for a 5-3 aggregate victory that sent them through to the Nations League semi-finals, where they will face Germany.
With the Danes leading the tie 1-0 thanks to Rasmus Højlund's goal in Thursday's first leg in Copenhagen, Ronaldo won and then missed an early penalty before Portugal took the lead on the night in the 38th minute thanks to an own goal from the Denmark defender Joachim Andersen.
The goal was cancelled out by Rasmus Kristensen's header in the 56th minute, and though Ronaldo gave the home side the lead again with a finish from a tight angle, Christian Eriksen put Denmark back in front on aggregate in the 76th minute.
Trincão then took over, scoring in the 86th minute to make it 3-3 on aggregate and force extra time before netting again in the 91st, with Gonçalo Ramos adding Portugal's fifth.
Germany squandered a three-goal lead to draw 3-3 against Italy on Sunday to earn a nerve-racking 5-4 aggregate victory and a spot in the Nations League last four.
The Germans shot out of the blocks and played their best first half in more than a decade with 16 efforts towards goal, Joshua Kimmich opening their account with a 30th minute penalty.
They then caught the Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and the entire defence napping with a quickly taken Kimmich corner for unmarked Jamal Musiala to slot in their second in the 36th minute.
Tim Kleindienst added a third on the stroke of half-time.
It was a German mistake, however, that launched Italy's comeback and allowed Moise Kean to cut the deficit four minutes after the restart. With the Germans a shadow of their earlier selves, Kean then beat the defender Jonathan Tah in the 69th minute to make it 3-2.
Italy drew on the night with Giacomo Raspadori's stoppage-time penalty but could not find another goal to level the tie on aggregate.
Evan Ferguson scored his first goal since November as the Republic of Ireland preserved their League B status with a 4-2 aggregate victory over Bulgaria.
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Ferguson, currently on loan at West Ham from Brighton, claimed his fifth senior international goal with 27 minutes remaining before the substitute Adam Idah struck after coming off the bench to secure a 2-1 playoff second-leg win at the Aviva Stadium to go with the one which Ireland returned from Plovdiv with on Thursday.
Just as they had done on home soil, the Bulgarians took a first-half lead, this time through the midfielder Valentin Antov, and again they were unable to defend it on a night when, contrary to the Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrímsson's prediction of a no-holds-barred physical battle, they played some fluent and compact football.
Bulgaria took the lead when Antov stabbed the ball past Caoimhín Kelleher with his side's first attempt on goal.
Ireland equalised after 63 minutes when Ferguson played a beautifully executed one-two with Finn Azaz before lashing the ball into the roof of the net.
The home team wrapped up victory with six minutes remaining when Azaz set Mark Sykes away down the left and he turned back inside before clipping the ball to the far post for fellow substitute Adam Idah to volley home.