Germany have shown why they are the team to be feared.
In their second match of the group stage, they dominated defending champions Portugal.
They were a goal down and have mounted an amazing comeback.
Two goals, which have been recorded as own goals proved quite vital for the hopes of comeback.
Germany started the game quite brightly and believed that Gosens gave them the lead, however the goal was deemed offside against Serge Gnabry.
Cristiano Ronaldo shocked Joachim Low‘s side with a counter-attacking opener.
Germany Has Hopes For Qualifying
The Germans started their match with utter dominance and were hopeful of taking the lead when Gosens scored but alas the goal was deemed offside.
Ruben Dias and Raphael Guerreiro’s own goal gave Germany a two-goal lead and youngsters Kai Havertz and Gosens doubled the scoreline.
They comfortably beat dominated Portugal and ended with a 4-2 scoreline win.
With this win, Germany now second in their group due to their better goal difference. They are, however, tied with Portugal on three points.
If they win against Hungary and France beats Portugal, both France and Germany will qualify for the round of 16.
However, if Portugal and Hungary win then France and Portugal will qualify despite Hungary being tied on four points with France.
There is another scenario where if Germany wins but France loses, then both Germany and Portugal will move forward to the next round.
So, there is still hope for Joachim Low‘s side to qualify for the round of 16. All they have to do is beat Hungary and hope either France or Portugal loses.
Defending Champions Crumble
Portugal is the current European Champions. They won this competition back in 2016 and are looking to make it back-to-back.
They opened their account with a 3-0 victory against Hungary in the opening match of Group F.
However, when they face Germany, they do not perform to their maximum level, which was shown in this match.
Portugal started well and felt relieved after Robin Gosens’s goal was ruled offside.
Cristiano Ronaldo scored from a counter-attack and gave his side the lead.
But, two own goals from Ruben Dias and Raphael Guerreiro gave the Germans a half-time lead.
Important players like Bruno Fernandes, Joao Moutinho, and even Ronaldo were completely out-of-sync in this match in comparison to the one against Hungary.
They weren’t able to find the right passes or even their shooting boots. In a total of 90+ minutes, the Portuguese side only managed two shots on target.
Looking at the quality of players they possess, these stats are completely unacceptable.
Right from the start of the second half, the Germans pressed even more and started dominating the game.
Kai Havertz tripled the scoreline and Robin Gosens made it four.
Germany now has a 4-1 advantage and was looking to score even more.
Bruno Fernandes was completely invisible this whole game. People say he doesn’t perform against top-tier teams, and this game shows that.
Diogo Jota’s 67th-minute tap-in gave some hope for the Portuguese but they were unable to even crumble the German defense slightly.
Portugal has crumbled in one of the biggest games of the tournament. If they don’t get their act together against France, then it’s a bye-bye title.
What’s Next For The Teams?
Group F is the group of death. Three of the world’s best countries are fighting to qualify for the round of 16.
France currently leads the group with four points while Germany and Portugal are in second and third with three points respectively.
Hungary, the underdogs are fourth with one point.
Every team in this group has an equal chance of qualifying for the round of 16.
Some of the other groups have already decided their winners before the final match day but this group will decide its winners and losers after the final match.
Germany will go head-to-head against Hungary.
France will face their 2016 final opponents Portugal in another battle of the heavyweights.
Who will come out on top? We will have to wait till the end of the third match to find out.
History Repeats Itself
The first-ever meeting between Portugal and Germany occurred on the 27th of Feb, 1936.
It was an international friendly which Germany won with a 3-1 score-line.
Over the years, they have met in a total of 18 games, and in which the Germans have come out on top ten times.
The Portuguese side has beaten the Die Mannschaft thrice and has had a stalemate five times.
Their recent meeting took place at the 2014 World Cup where Portugal lost 4-0.
Since 2006, Portugal has never beaten Germany and is currently on a four-game losing streak.
Despite having a lackluster start, the Germans will look to continue their domination on the international stage against the Portuguese.
Portugal is currently undefeated with three wins and two draws in all competitions.
Meanwhile, Germany is in a mix with two losses, two wins, and a draw.
Germany now continues their domination against Portugal and is 5 games unbeaten.
