Home Nations League 'privilege not pressure', say hosts Germany
The winners at Munich's Allianz Arena will face either holders Spain or France in the final on Sunday at the same venue.
Last year's Euros hosts beat Italy in the quarter-finals, winning the right to hold the remainder of the tournament on home soil as well as progression to the final four.
Germany's hopes of winning Euro 2024 at home were dashed with a quarter-final loss in extra time to eventual champions Spain in July last year.
Midfielder Leon Goretzka, recalled into the Germany fold after being dropped for Euro 2024 on form grounds, knocked back the idea his side were under pressure to make short work of underdogs Portugal.
"I don't see it like that," Goretzka said Tuesday, adding: "I see it as a privilege to play in front of your home fans."
Portugal have not beaten Germany since 2000 and have lost their past five games against the Germans.
Of the remaining teams, Germany is the only one yet to win the Nations League, with Portugal, France and Spain winning in 2019, 2021 and 2023 respectively.
Calling the tournament "a mini-Euros", Goretzka said "it's a chance to gift our country a title, even if it's a small one".
Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann has repeatedly said Germany's Nations League campaign is a crucial component of their preparation for the 2026 World Cup.
"It's a small title, but for us as a group it's very important," the coach added.
Four Portugal players won the Champions League with Paris Saint-Germain in Munich on Saturday. Nuno Mendes, Vitinha, Joao Neves all started the match, with Goncalo Ramos coming off the bench.
Nagelsmann said facing Portugal's PSG stars so soon "had advantages and disadvantages".
"Recently they've had a bit more to do than other players," Nagelsmann said, adding that "the game wasn't that long ago".
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
France 24
an hour ago
- France 24
No England crisis ahead of Euros despite absence of star trio: Wiegman
It has been a tumultuous period for Wiegman after Earps and Kirby announced shock retirements from international football and Chelsea captain Bright made herself unavailable for the Euros. The trio started every game when England's women secured their first major silverware at the 2022 Euros. Speaking after naming her squad for the title defence in Switzerland, Wiegman was adamant the Lionesses will rise to the challenge of replacing such accomplished players. "They've done so much for us, so much for England. They've been playing the tournaments since I've been here, so it's hard to replace them," Wiegman told reporters on Thursday. "But there are also other players who have done really well and now those players get the opportunity to step up. So you have to move on. "My experience before tournaments is that there is always noise. We expect noise until we go into the tournament. It doesn't feel like a crisis at all." Bright, who captained England to the World Cup final two years ago, said she felt unable "to give 100 percent mentally or physically" and needed a break from the international stage. "In the last couple of days I found out. It's sad, it's disappointing. It's not nice and I hope she feels well very soon," Wiegman said. Amid claims that Wiegman's managerial style had irked some of England's stars, the Dutch coach hit back at the critics. "It is not an unhappy group. You see parts of it. You are not in our environment all the time," she said. "I can assure you the training sessions were very good last week. I have seen what has happened on pitch and off the pitch with the team. I'm really happy with where we are now." James fit Earps reportedly stepped down after being told she was no longer guaranteed to be the first-choice keeper. Defending her approach to the delicate situation, Wiegman said: "For me, it's really important that I am honest and treat people in the right way. Sometimes you have good news and sometimes you have bad news. "I don't beat around the bush. I can't always control how people respond to that but afterwards we can just offer them support." Wiegman received a boost as Chelsea forward Lauren James was declared fit to feature at the Euros. The 23-year-old has not played since she suffered a hamstring injury during England's Nations League win over Belgium in April. James was a key figure when the Lionesses finished as World Cup runners-up to Spain in 2023. "It's not a risk. She's training really well at her club and she's at the point we hoped she would be at this stage. She keeps progressing," Wiegman said. Arsenal's Michelle Agyemang, a 19-year-old forward who scored just 41 seconds into her England debut in April, also made the squad despite playing only 10 minutes of international football. "She brings something different. I hope she can show it in the summer. We all remember her goal against Belgium," Wiegman said. Agyemang is one of seven players making their major tournament debuts, while Chelsea defender Lucy Bronze is set for her seventh, including four consecutive Euros.
LeMonde
2 hours ago
- LeMonde
Has the PSG fan become unbearable in the office?
At the office, the Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) fan has long served as a way to blow off steam: He or she was the colleague you would drop in on with a wry smile after a miserable weekend when their favorite team had suffered yet another defeat. A poor soul at whom colleagues would lob fake-sympathetic jokes ("You won't be spending your holidays with Sergi Roberto!" – a reference to the FC Barcelona player who crushed PSG in 2017). With morale at rock bottom, this aficionado reliably pointed to the magnetic pole of defeat, somewhere near the Parc des Princes, the team's stadium. Alone in their corner of the open space, decorated with a poster of PSG legend Rai, this diehard fan sometimes managed to develop a true managerial philosophy of transcendence through failure, repeating over and over, "What doesn't kill me makes me stronger." Everyone else would quietly stifle their laughter. But that was before. Before Saturday, May 31, 2025, when, after a legendary 5-0 win, PSG snatched the Champions League title from under Inter Milan's nose. That colleague, who had endured years of humiliation while gritting their teeth, naturally showed up on Monday after the feat, their jersey draped over their shoulders, head held high, striding through the halls with body language broadcasting a clear message: "I told you so!" This is not someone merely celebrating a sporting achievement, but a true believer who has just witnessed a biblical resurrection. Carried by faith, they believed without evidence long before anyone else. In their scenario, coach Luis Enrique stands in as a sort of Jesus Christ who managed to transform a soulless team into a winning machine – as if turning water into wine. Post-victory depression On X, Fabien S. summed up the vengeful spirit of this office ultra: "Flag, jersey and scarf in the bag. I'm going to get a crazy amount of pleasure from saying: 'Good morning, how are you? Did you have a good weekend?' Every Marseille supporter at the office gets a message on Teams this morning." In truth, seeing your dream come true is never easy. Sometimes, it's even the worst thing that can happen to a dream. The famous line from journalist Thierry Roland after France's World Cup win in 1998 ("I think after this, we can die happy") led football fans down the wrong path.
France 24
2 hours ago
- France 24
Australia on brink of World Cup after dramatic late winner
In front of a sell-out crowd of 57,226 at Optus Stadium, the Socceroos were outplayed for long periods by an inexperienced Japan side. But then Riley McGree cut the ball back to defender Behich, who rifled a bullet into the corner for his first international goal in 13 years and trigger scenes of jubilation. After beating Japan for the first time since 2009, Australia are all but assured of a berth at next year's World Cup in North America. Before the game the Socceroos had a three-point lead and a significantly better goal difference over Saudi Arabia with two matches left. The win does not totally guarantee Australia's passage, with Saudi Arabia at Bahrain later on Thursday. Australia face Saudi Arabia in Jeddah on June 10 in their final Group C match in the battle for second behind Japan. Teams that finish in the top two of the six-team group guarantee their automatic spot at the World Cup. After what had been a lacklustre performance for much of the game, Australia's last-gasp victory continued their turnaround since Tony Popovic was installed as coach in September. After becoming the first team to punch their tickets to the World Cup, Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu used the trip to Australia as an opportunity to experiment with his squad. Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo and Real Sociedad's Takefusa Kubo started on the bench as Japan fielded three debutants in the starting line-up. Crystal Palace's Daichi Kamada, playing his 41st international, was considerably their most experienced starting player. But Japan's youngsters completely dominated the first-half with 21-year-old wing back Kota Tawaratsumida impressing on debut. It was only a matter of time before Japan had a clear-cut chance at breaking the deadlock, with Yuito Suzuki making an attempt from long range on the half-hour mark. Japan continued to attack with debutant Yu Hirakawa firing a bullet just wide of the left post after beating outstretched goalkeeper Mathew Ryan. The break arrived at an good time for Australia. © 2025 AFP
