Euro 2012 preview: Portugal v Spain

Cristiano Ronaldo

Will Euro 2012 be remembered as Cristiano Ronaldo’s tournament?

The answer to that question will be a resounding ‘yes’, providing he leads Portugal to glory in next Sunday’s final in Kiev, but first he must inspire the Selecção to victory in Wednesday’s semi-final against old rivals Spain.

If there is one team at the European Championship who know Ronaldo inside out – including how to limit his time on the ball and, crucially, how to frustrate him – then it’s the Spanish.

Nine of Vicente del Bosque’s regular starting line-up are either team-mates with the world-class winger at Real Madrid or play against him several times a season with arch-rivals Barcelona in the Primera Liga.

They all understand and respect the quality of the world’s most expensive player. "If we want to stop him it will have to be a collective effort," Spain’s Gerard Piqué, now with Barcelona but formerly of Manchester United where he played with Ronaldo, warned.

While Xavi believes that Alvaro Arbeloa, who won the Spanish title with Ronaldo at the Bernabeu last season, has the quality to stifle Portugal’s danger man.

"We have a great full-back in Arbeloa, who is among the best out there defensively speaking,” Spain’s brilliant midfielder commented. "We'll try to cover for him, to make sure Ronaldo doesn't settle and we don't let him turn."

The 27-year-old comes into the fixture off the back of two stunning man-of-the-match performances. His brace against Netherlands secured Portugal’s place in the quarter-finals, where Ronaldo duly scored with a late diving header to eliminate Czech Republic.

While most international teams would be slightly fearful after watching his two most recent displays, it’s a different story for Spain, who have the utmost confidence that their synonymous tiki-taka style can limit the impact of even the very best players.

"For all the talk about Ronaldo we won't change our style and we don't have a special marking plan,” Xabi Alonso, who scored both goals in Spain’s quarter-final win over France, told Uefa.com. “We'll study his play and we might make minor adjustments but our best defence is to play as a team and not give him space."

Of course, it would be unfair to class Portugal as merely a one-man team. The whole squad have gelled to good effect at this summer’s tournament; indeed, it’s fair to say they have exceeded expectations by reaching the last four considering the stiff competition provided in Group B.

But in order to progress past Spain, who retain possession better than any team in the world, they are likely to require a moment of inspiration from their talismanic captain.

Ronaldo certainly provided one when Portugal last faced the world champions, 19 months ago. The Portuguese stunned Spain with a shock 4-0 win in Lisbon, but it would have been an even bigger win for the Euro 2004 finalists had Ronaldo’s glorious solo effort not been disallowed.

With the ball lofted over the head of Iker Casillas and poised to land into the empty net after a mazy run, Ronaldo’s team-mate Nani applied the finishing touch in an attempt to guarantee the goal – only for the effort to be ruled out for offside.

An incensed Ronaldo nearly exploded, while Nani even felt obliged to apologise after the match had finished. “It was a great piece of play and I shouldn't have ruined it," conceded Portugal’s other classy winger who has the ability to cause Spain problems on Wednesday.

Although the result was undoubtedly eye-catching, it was Spain who won the battle which truly mattered that year.

David Villa scored the only goal of the game as La Roja defeated Portugal on their path to 2010 World Cup glory, leaving Ronaldo and co. to experience the bitter taste of defeat at another major tournament.

Every Portuguese inside the Donbass Arena in Donetsk, as well as the millions watching back home, will be looking to Ronaldo to avert the same outcome.

He has proven himself as a big-game player for both club and country during the most recent season, but even his best efforts might not quite be enough against the relentless winning machine that is the Spanish national team.

Prediction: Portugal 1 Spain 1 (Spain win AET)

Rob Swan - follow me on Twitter

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