Fans waxed lyrical about Francisco Conceicao for his performance in the UEFA Nations League semi-final match between Germany and Portugal on Wednesday (June 4). The 22-year-old produced a man-of-the-match cameo in the 32 minutes he spent on the pitch as Seleção das Quinas won 2-1 to seal their spot in the final of the competition.
After kickoff was delayed by 10 minutes due to the inclement weather in Munich, both teams began the match with clear intent, each eager to assert their dominance from the outset. Leon Goretzka forced Portugal goalkeeper Diogo Costa into a save just four minutes in before Cristiano Ronaldo’s tame effort in the seventh minute was comfortably saved by Germany goalkeeper Ter Stegen.
Although Die Mannschaft had more ball possession, the end-to-end first 45 minutes ended in a goalless stalemate. Germany came into the second half with more determination, and their strong start was duly rewarded two minutes after the break. Joshua Kimmich’s pass into Portugal’s box found Florian Wirtz, who directed a clinical header into the bottom corner.
Francisco Conceicao came on from the bench before the hour mark, and the winger turned out to be a super sub as he found the equalizer five minutes after he was introduced. The game was turned on its head a few minutes later as Cristiano Ronaldo tapped home from close range.
Portugal held on to their lead and eventually secured the victory, beating Germany for the first time in 25 years. Despite not starting the game, Conceicao won the MOTM award for his performance. He registered a passing accuracy of 92% (22/24), registered two shots on target, and received a rating of 7.4 as per Sofascore.
After the match, fans took to X to laud his performance, with one writing:
Another tweeted:
Manchester City midfielder Bernardo expressed delight at his side’s 2-1 win over Germany. He said the victory was important and admitted that the Germans are a very strong side.
He told RTP 3 (via Ojogo.pt):
Portugal will face the winners of the Spain vs. France game in the final.
An ardent Chelsea fan, Ezekiel’s journey as a football fan began in his childhood, witnessing Ronaldinho dazzle with his skills. His interest in the beautiful game deepened after Nigeria were knocked out of the 2010 FIFA World Cup; he was impressed with the Super Eagles’ fighting spirit in their 2-2 Group B draw against South Korea. Some other World Cup matches which have left a deep impact on him were Belgium’s incredible comeback against Japan in the round of 16 of the 2018 version and the 2022 final.
Lionel Messi is the one true GOAT for Ezekiel and he also follows the Major League Soccer and the Saudi Pro League owing to him and Cristiano Ronaldo. When not writing, he spends his free time deepening his SEO knowledge and watching skits.
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