Cristiano Ronaldo's fear-factor lives on! Germany boss Julian Nagelsmann admits he's wary of 'dangerous and extraordinary' CR7 ahead of Nations League showdown with Portugal

Despite being 40 years old, Ronaldo remains a pivotal figure for the Portuguese national team and will once again wear the captain's armband when the Seleccao walk out onto the Allianz Arena pitch on Wednesday evening. The striker finished the Saudi domestic campaign with Al-Nassr as the highest goalscorer in the Pro League and will look to add to his ever-increasing international goal tally of 136 strikes against Nagelsmann's Germany.

The semi-final match-up between Germany and Portugal is a fixture worthy of a final, pitting two former European champions against each other. Both nations advanced to the last four after thrilling quarter-final ties. Germany edged past Italy with a 5-4 aggregate victory, while Portugal got the better of Denmark in a 5-3 triumph, with Ronaldo among the scorers.

Speaking to the press ahead of the much-anticipated clash, Nagelsmann was full of admiration for Ronaldo’s achievements but admitted he hopes that the veteran forward has a quiet night on the field.

"He's had an outstanding career over so many years," he said. "Performing at this level for so long is extraordinary. He's scored so many goals and had a lot of influence on the teams he played for. I hope he won't have a lot of influence on tomorrow's game. Despite his age, he's still very dangerous, a goal threat and strong in the air in the penalty box. We have to be wary of that tomorrow."

Ronaldo is currently the fourth-highest scorer in the ongoing Nations League campaign, having netted six times on Portugal’s road to the semi-finals. He will once again be central to Portuguese hopes with Roberto Martinez's team just one step away from a potential showdown with either reigning European champions Spain or France, who contest the other semi-final.