Portugal 2-4 Germany: 5 hits and flops as Die Mannschaft script emphatic comeback | UEFA Euro 2020
Germany ran riot against a hapless Portugal team at the Allianz Arena on Saturday, beating the reigning champions 4-2 in a high-scoring Euro 2020 Group F game.
Portugal took the lead against the run of play when Cristiano Ronaldo found himself at the end of a blistering counterattack. However, Germany kept their calm and continued to play their expansive brand of football. They were soon rewarded for their efforts, as own goals from Ruben Dias and Raphael Guerreiro gave Germany the lead heading into the break.
The hosts continued to dominate in the second half as Kai Havertz and Robin Gosens found themselves on the scoresheet after the resumption. Portugal pulled one back, courtesy Diogo Jota, but that was only a consolation.
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The big win takes Germany second in Group F, ahead of third-placed Portugal. On that note, let's have a look at five hits and flops from either team in the game.
Hit: Robin Gosens (Germany)
The Atalanta wing-back has cemented his place in Germany's starting line-up with consecutive solid performances.
He hared up and down the pitch with great enthusiasm and was a constant menace down the left flank for Portugal. Gosens found the perfect square pass for Kai Havertz in the first half, which led to Ruben Dias beating his own goalkeeper.
Most importantly, Gosens took his chances well when they came to him. A Joshua Kimmich cross found its way to Gosens at the far post, and the Atalanta man made no mistake with his header. That goal that all but confirmed all three points for Germany on the night as Gosens truly delivered one of the performances of Euro 2020.
Flop: Nelson Semedo (Portugal)
Nelson Semedo is well known for his attacking exploits, but he was far from his best against Germany. The Wolves full-back was given a torrid time by Gosens on the flank.
Semedo struggled to deal with the Atalanta man all match and left him unmarked in a crucial moment, which led to Germany's fourth goal. He was quite ineffective going forward, and his influence was numbed down with relative ease.
His trademark crosses and runs into the Germany penalty box were nowhere to be seen. Overall, it was a day to forget for the former Barcelona full-back.
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