From pitch invader scuffle to matchwinner – Cristiano Ronaldo stars for Portugal

Independent

a day ago

Cristiano Ronaldo overcame a pre-match scuffle with an enthusiastic fan to again be Portugal's hero as he fired them to the Nations League final.
The 40-year-old was confronted by a pitch invader who wanted a selfie ahead of kick-off before scoring the winning goal in a 2-1 semi-final victory over Germany in Munich.
The hosts had gone in front early in the second half when Liverpool transfer target Florian Wirtz headed home but Roberto Martinez's men hit back with two goals in five minutes.
A brilliant strike from Francisco Conceicao, whose father Sergio scored the last time Portugal beat Germany in Euro 2000, brought them level before Ronaldo bagged his 137th international goal with an easy tap-in to win the match.
It sent Portugal through to the final where they will meet either Spain or France on Sunday.
There was plenty of drama in the warm-up as midway through an electrical storm, Ronaldo had his confrontation, with the young fan dragged away by stewards.
The storm caused a 10-minute delay to kick-off, but once the action got under way it was almost an electric start for the hosts as they started on the front foot with Portugal goalkeeper Diogo Costa making two great saves.
First he produced a fine stop to deny debutant Nick Woltemade's fizzed effort before getting down quickly to turn Leon Goretzka's stroked effort around the post.
Portugal were inches away from taking the lead early in the second half as Ronaldo was just unable to connect with Nuno Mendes' incisive cross, which agonisingly grazed the striker's studs.
And soon after the ball went in at the other end as Germany took the lead in the 48th minute.
Joshua Kimmich, winning his 100th cap, made it, clipping a delightful ball over the defence for Wirtz to run on to and find the bottom corner.
Portugal's response was good and Bruno Fernandes, fresh from a post-season tour to Asia with Manchester United, whipped an effort just wide.
But it was substitute Conceicao who made the difference five minutes after coming off the bench.
It was a brilliant individual goal, cutting in from the right, driving towards goal before finding the bottom corner with a 25-yard curling effort.
The turnaround was complete five minutes later after another fine goal.
Mendes played a one-two with Fernandes and then laid it on a plate for Ronaldo to tap into an empty net after just staying onside.
Conceicao could have killed the match but whistled an effort just wide and Germany almost equalised moments later as Karim Adeyemi advanced into the box but his shot hit the outside of the post.
Marc-Andre ter Stegen made a miraculous double save to deny Diogo Jota and Conceicao at the death, but Portugal's work was done.