Germany - Portugal: How Nick Woltemade performed on his DFB debut

After an hour, Nick Woltemade slowly left the pitch of the Munich Arena, accompanied by applause from the crowd. The VfB Stuttgart striker had made his debut for the German senior national team in the Nations League semifinal against Portugal and made a decent impression. Although he had few actions, he was clearly trying hard – and was at the center of the most striking moment to date.

Before Florian Wirtz made it 1-0 in the 48th minute, Woltemade used his almost two-meter-long body to block Portuguese central defender Rúben Dias's path. The VAR reviewed the incident because Woltemade was offside, but ruled that he had not actively interfered. A highly controversial decision.

But when he was substituted, Woltemade left knowing he hadn't disappointed Julian Nagelsmann's trust. "For his first game, it was fine. He made good use of the first 60 minutes as a senior international," the national coach said of Woltemade's debut.

From the bench, the Stuttgart player then had to watch as the game turned around and Portugal turned the deficit into a 2-1 victory. Instead of playing against Spain or France in the Nations League final in Munich on Sunday, the Germans will have to settle for the third-place match in Stuttgart.

Woltemade will likely not be there: According to Nagelsmann, he is scheduled to travel to the U21 national team, which will compete in the European Championship in Slovakia starting next Thursday. This had been agreed in the event of a defeat against Portugal.

Explaining before the match why he had given Woltemade a place in the starting lineup, Nagelsmann praised his own fearlessness. Part of his job is to "make a courageous decision," Nagelsmann said. Woltemade's selection wasn't a particularly risky move, but was largely expected, as regular striker Kai Havertz and his deputy Tim Kleindienst were not in the squad for the Nations League finals due to injuries.

And so the coach had to choose between Niclas Füllkrug and Woltemade up front – and consequently, he chose the man who, with 15 goals in competitive matches since November and a DFB Cup win with VfB Stuttgart, is in top form. Füllkrug was slated for the role that suits him best, especially for the national team: as a substitute.

Everything happened for Woltemade for the first time against Portugal. Before kickoff, he sang the German national anthem for the first time as a senior international, in the third minute he had his first touch of the ball, and in the eighth minute he was offside for the first time. Only, the game took the opposite turn: After Füllkrug's substitution, the Germans lost the match.

Like Cristiano Ronaldo in Portugal, Woltemade was given the mandate to stay well ahead of his teammates; like Ronaldo, the VfB Stuttgart player was largely freed from defensive duties. The problem, however, was that Woltemade initially offered little offensively either.

Portugal's central defense, with tight marking, gave him little chance to utilize his much-praised technique. Woltemade also didn't always look comfortable. After about half an hour, he stumbled while receiving a ball.

Before that, however, he had played a key role in Germany's best period up to that point. In the 19th minute, he stood with his back to goal, used his imposing body to keep his opponent Rúben Dias at bay, and played a beautiful one-two with Aleksandar Pavlović. The ball was returned to Woltemade. With the first shot on goal of his career as a senior international, he was saved by goalkeeper Diogo Costa.

Controversial scene shortly after the break: Florian Wirtz (number 17) scores with a header, Rúben Dias (number 3) complains about Woltemade's use.

Source: Christian Charisius/dpa

When Germany took the lead shortly after halftime, Woltemade played a part with his block on Dias – and was lucky that the goal survived the VAR review. Shortly after the goal, Dias received the first yellow card of the match – for a hold on Woltemade. The Stuttgart player frustrated Portugal.

When he was substituted for Füllkrug after an hour, the Germans were on course for the final. Afterward, Woltemade had to watch helplessly as Portugal turned the game around and ended Germany's dream of a Nations League title. Small consolation: Woltemade still has one chance at a trophy this summer: at the U21 European Championship.