Ronaldo fires Portugal past Germany to NL final

Cristiano Ronaldo scored the winner as Portugal fought back to beat Germany 2-1 on Wednesday and reach the Nations League final.

Ronaldo became the oldest player to ever score against Germany while ending his "curse" against the country. The former Real Madrid star lost each of the previous five games he'd played against Germany.

Germany took the lead in the 48th minute, as Florian Wirtz headed in unmarked in the box, following a pinpoint lobbed pass from Joshua Kimmich.

However, Portugal turned the match around, first equalising through substitute Francisco Conceição in the 63rd minute.

Then the 40-year-old Ronaldo captained Portugal and scored his 137th international goal five minutes after substitute Conceição equalised.

Spain and France will clash in the other semifinal in Stuttgart on Thursday to decide who will face Portugal in the decider on Sunday.

Vitinha excelled as Portugal finished the game in the ascendancy just four days after he helped Paris Saint-Germain win the Champions League final against Inter Milan in the same stadium on Saturday.

Germany needed goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen at his best to prevent the visitors from scoring any more.

PSG wing-backs João Neves and Nuno Mendes both started for Portugal, while Stuttgart forward Nick Woltemade started for his Germany debut.

Conceição only needed five minutes to make a mark with a brilliant long-range strike inside the far post after he surged past Robin Gosens like he wasn't there. Mendes gave Ronaldo a simple finish five minutes after that.

"It could have been more," Mendes said.

Information from Reuters and The Associated Press was used in this story.