LYON: When Portugal and Wales face off for a spot in the final of the European Championship, two players will be expected to rise far above the rest.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale, club team-mates at Real Madrid and the most expensive players in the history of the sport, will bear the hopes of their nations on Wednesday night at Stade de Lyon.

None of the previous 48 matches played at Euro 2016 has pitted two players of such unequalled star status and undisputed importance to their teams.

The stage, fittingly enough, could hardly be bigger. The winner will earn a spot in the July 10 final at Saint-Denis against either world champions Germany or tournament hosts France.

“It’s not about two players, everyone knows that, it’s about two nations in a semi-final,” insisted Bale on Tuesday in a bid to defuse the billing of his and Ronaldo’s all-star showdown.

“He’s a fantastic player, everyone knows what he can do. We concentrate on what we can do as a team, and not concentrate on individuals.”

Less than six weeks ago, Ronaldo and Bale joined in celebrations after winning a second Champions League trophy in their three seasons together at Real.

Since moving to Spain on a record £100-million (then $132-million) transfer that broke Real’s own deal for Ronaldo, Bale has always played the role of deferential sidekick to the three-time world player of the year.

The match in Lyon now offers Bale the perfect stage to challenge that hierarchy. A standout performance by one could even tip the Ballon d’Or vote in his favour.

However, of the two Bale has been in better form in France, scoring in all of Wales’ group games and forcing Northern Ireland’s Gareth McAuley into the own goal with a devilish cross which decided their last 16 tie.

Bale’s unheralded team are also riding a huge high after the most important victory in their history: a 3-1 come-from-behind win to oust Belgium in the quarter-finals as they hope to become the first British side to reach a major tournament final in 50 years.

By contrast, Ronaldo has look surly, stressed and well off his usually impeccable standards in front of goal.

The three-time world player of the year scored twice against Hungary to become the only player to score in four separate European championships. But he failed to find the net against Iceland, Austria, Croatia and Poland.

“If Cristiano Ronaldo doesn’t score, it doesn’t mean he isn’t playing well and doing other things,” Portugal coach Fernando Santos said in defence of his forward. “Cristiano Ronaldo is an example as captain of this side. He’s doing a great job. He wants to win.”

If Ronaldo does score, he will match Michel Platini’s record of nine goals at the European Championship.

Semi-final woe

While it will be virgin territory for Wales, Portugal could be forgiven a sense of deja vu as they step on to the pitch on Wednesday.

This will be Portugal’s fourth semi-final in the last five editions of the competition stretching back to 2000, but for all their success in reaching the latter stages of the tournament, there has been little glory along the way.

Only once have they overcome the last-four hurdle and then they were beaten in the final by Greece as hosts at Euro 2004.

If you include their defeat in the semi-finals of the 2006 World Cup and a loss at the Euros in 1984, they are becoming all too familiar with the pitfalls of this stage of major tournaments.

Portugal’s conquerors in their recent last-four clashes have included football powerhouses France, at Euro 2000 and the World Cup in 2006, and Spain at Euro 2012.

Should they lose to Wales, playing their first major tournament in 58 years and their first ever semi-final, it would be a devastating blow.

Portugal are yet to win a match at the tournament inside 90 minutes, having drawn all three group games, beaten Croatia in extra time and squeezed past Poland on penalties.

Bale, though, refused to be fooled by Portugal’s route to the semi-final.

“We know what tournament they have had. We have watched all their games on TV. They are a dangerous team. They are ranked very highly and are not in the semi-final for no reason,” added Bale.

“Even if they haven’t won, they’ve got the results needed. We will do our homework as normal. Hopefully on the night we can put in another great performance and make more history.”

Both sides will be disrupted by suspension with Ben Davies and in particular Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey a huge miss for Wales.

While Bale has been Wales’s attacking talisman, scoring three times to lift them out of their group, Ramsey has been arguably their most influential player, scoring one and producing four assists in the run to the last four.

Portugal are shorn of the banned William Carvalho, but Andre Gomes and Joao Moutinho are in contention to start after recovering from injury.

A potentially much bigger hole for Santos to fill could be at centre-back. Pepe didn’t train on Monday because of a thigh muscle problem. The Real defender has been Portugal’s best man at the back by far at the competition.

Published in Dawn, July 6th, 2016