Portugal 2-4 Germany: 5 hits and flops as Die Mannschaft script emphatic comeback | UEFA Euro 2020

Portugal vs Germany - UEFA Euro 2020: Group F
Portugal vs Germany - UEFA Euro 2020: Group F

Hit: Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)

Portugal had very few bright sparks other than Ronaldo.
Portugal had very few bright sparks other than Ronaldo.

Cristiano Ronaldo was one of the few bright sparks for Portugal against Germany.

The 36-year-old looked threatening in the final third every time he was involved. So it was no surprise to see him in the right place at the right time to score Portugal's opener.

As Portugal crumbled under pressure in the second half, the Juventus forward kept trying his best to motivate his teammates. His clever flick back towards goal midway through the second half led to a consolation for Diogo Jota.

With a bit more help from his teammates, Ronaldo's impressive outing may not have resulted in a defeat for the reigning champions on the night.


Flop: Ruben Dias (Portugal)

Dias had a rare poor day at the office.
Dias had a rare poor day at the office.

Ruben Dias has recently established himself as one of the finest defenders in the game. But he failed to get going against Germany.

Portugal depend a lot on the Manchester City man to lead them from the back. But Dias struggled to cope with the array of attacking football Germany threw at the Portuguese defence. Gnabry and Havertz didn't shy away from tackles against Dias early in the first half, and the former Benfica stalwart came off second-best in most of them.

That left Dias jaded as he could never assert his dominance on Germany. It would be harsh to blame him solely for Portugal's poor outing, but he was one of the players who was largely at fault.


Hit: Kai Havertz (Germany)

Jochim Low was delighted with Havertz's performance.
Jochim Low was delighted with Havertz's performance.

There is plenty of competition for attacking spots in the Germany XI. But Kai Havertz has pretty much consolidated his berth in the starting lineup with his heroic performance against Portugal.

The Chelsea forward showed exactly why the Londoners paid the big bucks for his services, as he was central to almost everything Germany did against Portugal on the night.

Germany's equaliser was a direct consequence of Havertz's attacking play inside the Portuguese penalty area. He positioned himself perfectly to meet Gosens' cross.

His positioning proved critical in the second half as well, as he freed himself of his markers inside the box to meet a Gosens delivery. If Havertz can keep up his good work, Germany could go a long way in this tournament.

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Edited by Bhargav
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