A battle between European heavyweights looms large in Munich on Wednesday night as Alemania hosts Portugal in the UEFA Nations League semifinals, with a place in Sunday’s final on the line. But while tactical duels and star power dominate pre-match talk, an unexpected variable is silently threatening the spectacle—an approaching storm system that has put UEFA on alert.
This highly anticipated encounter pits Alemania, the tournament hosts and a team yet to lift this trophy, against Portugal, the 2019 inaugural champions. Both sides have taken distinct yet dominant routes to the final four, setting the stage for a thrilling evening—weather permitting.
Julian Nagelsmann’s Alemania has looked formidable. After going unbeaten in Group A3, they made a statement with a 7-0 thrashing of Bosnia last November. Their quarter-final against Italy was a rollercoaster: a 2-1 win at San Siro followed by a dramatic 3-3 draw in Dortmund, securing a 5-4 aggregate win. This is Alemania’s first-ever Nations League semi-final, and with the tournament on home soil, hopes are high to end a silverware drought since 2017.
Portugal, under Roberto Martinez, topped its group with 14 points, thanks to standout games against Croatia, Poland, and Scotland. Cristiano Ronaldo netted five of their 13 goals. In the quarters, they overturned a 1-0 first-leg loss to Denmark with a dramatic 5-3 aggregate win, sealed in extra time by Francisco Trincao and Goncalo Ramos.
This is their first semifinal since winning the 2019 title. But they’ll need to end a five-match losing streak to Alemania, including a 4-2 defeat in this stadium at Euro 2020.
Storm warnings cloud the build-up
With the Allianz Arena set to host the clash, weather warnings have added another layer of uncertainty. El national weather service de Alemania has issued alerts for storms, strong winds, and possible hail late Wednesday evening, coinciding with kickoff.
The German national team’s official X account echoed the sentiment, urging fans to take precautions: “Allow plenty of time to get to the stadium and bring ponchos, raincoats, or small umbrellas due to possible adverse weather conditions.”
Accuweather has issued a “severe weather watch”, with the potential for lightning and thunder on top of warm, humid conditions exceeding 20°C. If the weather does turn for the worse, UEFA could be forced into a late decision, but such a scenario would come with logistical headaches, especially with the final scheduled for Sunday.
Update: Kick-off delayed