Germany – Portugal: Wirtz Lights the Fuse, Conceição and Ronaldo Seal the Comeback (1-2)

In what was a competitive but cagey first half, the match sparked into life after the break with Florian Wirtz breaking the deadlock for Germany. Portugal responded swiftly, as Francisco Conceição produced a brilliant solo effort to equalize. Just minutes later, a slick combination move saw Cristiano Ronaldo finish off a flowing team sequence to complete the turnaround. While Julian Nagelsmann continues to search for the right defensive balance, Roberto Martínez is still working to shape the most cohesive midfield unit that delivered on Wednesday night.

Tactical analysis and match report by Fahd Ahmed.

With the 2026 FIFA World Cup only a little more than a year away, the significance of the international matches is growing. Regardless of the ambitions of the nation—whether that is trying to qualify or going all the way to try and win the prestigious tournament—each match is crucial for the managers as they try to find their best players and ideal system.

One of the highlight fixtures of the week was the clash between two of the heavyweights of the World Cup with managers who have taken over the role in relatively recent times. Roberto Martínez immediately succeeded Fernando Santos after Portugal’s quarter-final exit in the previous tournament, whilst Julian Nagelsmann took over after Hansi Flick was relieved of his responsibilities in late 2023. Thus, both managers are still figuring out the right blend personnel-wise and tactically.

With the plethora of talent at Martínez’s disposal, it is a difficult task to find what his best eleven is. That is mainly the case in midfield . . .