Florian Wirtz left Bruno Fernandes fuming during Portugal’s 2-1 comeback win over Germany in the Nations League semi-final on Wednesday night. The Bayer Leverkusen star, who is reportedly close to joining Liverpool, seems to be making early enemies among the Reds' biggest rivals.
Wirtz gave Germany the lead at the Allianz Arena, but Portugal turned the match around in the second half with quickfire goals from Francisco Conceicao and Cristiano Ronaldo, securing a spot in the Nations League final, which is set for June 8 at the same venue, where they'll face the winner of Spain vs France.
While the goals were the main talking point, another flashpoint came late in the match when Wirtz clashed with Fernandes. The two-time Bundesliga Player of the Year was undoubtedly Germany's finest performer on the night, but he also showed another side to his game with a nasty, mistimed challenge on a soon-to-be Premier League adversary, before then being confronted by him later on in proceedings.
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Wirtz is widely regarded as a composed, classy operator - rarely one to dabble in the dark arts of the game. That reputation is backed up by his disciplinary record, with just three yellow cards across the entire 2024/25 domestic season. But even the most elegant players can have their moments, and on Wednesday night, Wirtz found himself in some trouble.
The two had bumped into each other all throughout the night, and this came to a fore late on when Wirtz's altercation with Bernardo Silva led to him being confronted by the Manchester United captain, earning him a yellow card. Watch the incident below:
Of course, Wirtz’s actions haven’t earned him any favour with the Red Devils’ faithful, but they’ve certainly won him some more admirers on Merseyside. Liverpool supporters were quick to flood social media, urging the club’s owners to pay whatever it takes to bring him to Anfield.
But it wasn't just that incident that led to the heated exchange. Earlier in the second-half, the German put in a mistimed challenge on his opposite number that first ignited the flames. Watch the tackle below:
Liverpool remain determined to bring Florian Wirtz to Anfield, having already beaten off competition from Bayern Munich and Manchester City. Their opening offer of £109 million was rejected by Bayer Leverkusen, who are holding firm for a record-breaking £125 million (€145 million) fee.
However, recent reports suggest that Fenway Sports Group has now approved meeting that valuation, which would set up a new transfer record for both English and German football. Wirtz himself has also hinted at his desire to join the Reds. He recently took to Instagram to shut down claims that he was demanding Alexis Mac Allister’s No. 10 shirt upon his arrival.