Nagelsmann Calls Portugal Defeat One Of Germany's Worst Matches In Last 18 Months

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Germany's head coach, Julian Nagelsmann, admitted that their Nations League loss to Portugal was among the team's poorest performances in the past year and a half. Florian Wirtz had given Germany the lead at Allianz Arena in the 48th minute, heading past Diogo Costa. However, substitute Francisco Conceicao and captain Cristiano Ronaldo scored two quick goals, securing victory for Roberto Martinez's team.

Portugal had previously lost five consecutive matches against Germany in major tournaments, including the 2006 World Cup and Euro 2020. This time, however, they emerged as deserved winners. Portugal's expected goals (xG) stood at 2.92 from 17 shots compared to Germany's 1.11 from nine attempts. Nagelsmann expressed his desire for an improved performance when Germany faces either Spain or France in the third-place match.

Nagelsmann acknowledged that Germany played well in the first half despite it ending goalless. He noted that after Wirtz's goal, they failed to capitalize on their advantage. "In the first half, we played well," he said. "But in the second half, our possession wasn't strong." The coach emphasized that they lacked defensive composure seen in previous matches.

Joshua Kimmich echoed his coach's views after his 100th appearance for Germany was overshadowed by their semi-final exit. Kimmich assisted Wirtz’s goal and created three chances, matching Leroy Sane’s efforts. "We led 1-0 but then stopped playing," Kimmich stated. He stressed that giving full effort is crucial to being among Europe's top teams.

Nagelsmann denied that the defeat was due to a lack of attitude from his players. "Attitude is a big word," he remarked, adding that while they had a decent team on the field, their activity level wasn't at its peak. Despite losing 2-1, Nagelsmann felt it seemed like a more significant defeat due to fatigue.

Kimmich highlighted that both with and without possession, Germany needed more activity to compete effectively. He believes this experience offers valuable lessons: "We must have everyone playing to their limit; otherwise, luck would be necessary to advance."

Nagelsmann concluded by stating that if Germany doesn't operate at full capacity, keeping pace with top nations becomes challenging. He hopes for a better display against their next opponent as they aim for third place.