In a recent press interview, Gareth Bale told the reporters that the semi-final between Wales and Portugal will not be an individual battle between him and Real Madrid team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo. True, considering on the field they would hardly ever cross each other (Except set pieces of course). But the first semi-final of Euro 2016 is perfectly poised to showcase a number of individual battles on Wednesday night.
Also read: Euro 2016: Cristiano Ronaldo vs Gareth Bale - Real Madrid's present vs Real Madrid's future
Looking ahead at the highly anticipated game, here are the three key battles we should keep an eye on.
1) Cristiano Ronaldo vs Ashley Williams
The Portuguese superstar is having yet another goal drought, not finding the back of the net against both Croatia and Poland. But Wales would certainly not rule him out for this particular reason. Earlier in the tournament against Hungary, he had shown glimpses of what he is capable of him and Portugal coach Fernando Santos will be banking on Ronaldo to regain his touch.
Ronaldo, however, has quite a worthy adversary (based on form in the ongoing tournament) in Welsh centre-back Ashley Williams. The towering defender has already scored two goals in the tournament and quite surprisingly equals Ronaldo’s goal count. Both are incredibly clean headers of the ball and really high jumpers.
Ronaldo, who normally plays the striker’s role with Portugal, might often find Williams trying to mark him down or challenging for the ball near the penalty box. And it wouldn’t be surprising at all if all of Portugal’s set pieces end up being a heading battle between these two 31-year-old team national team captains.
An on-field rivalry between the leaders themselves will contribute to a cracking much-awaited semi-final.
2) Gareth Bale vs Pepe
Real Madrid team-mates Pepe and Gareth Bale will also look to get the better of each other in the clash between the two nations. Pepe, who was clearly the best player on the pitch against Poland has been in terrific form and has been arguably, the best defender for Portugal so far.
Statistics show that he has won the maximum number of balls in the air against opposition strikers and also leads the charts for the maximum number of clearances made. His on-field theatrics might earn him his fair share of criticism but he has been the main man at the back for Portugal.
His toughest test lies on Wednesday where he will be facing a charged-up Gareth Bale who is looking to create history with the Welsh team. Bale has three goals in the tournament and has been a vital part in all of the games Wales has played so far.
His strength, speed and ability to move around defenders have proven very efficient for Wales and off late he has also become one of the best headers of the ball. What is to be witnessed is how Pepe will deal with a sprinting Gareth Bale on the counter attack or how he stops a leaping Bale from heading home a perfectly delivered set piece. All of this is expected out of this game as the world lies in wait to see which of these two La Undecima winning stars has the last laugh.
3) Renato Sanches vs Joe Allen
18-year-old Renato Sanches has practically confirmed a place in the starting line-up with his performance against Poland. Starting off a substitute in the previous games, Renato has been impressive throughout the tournament but wasted no time to capitalise on the chance given to him by manager Fernando Santos.
A talented ball player who is more than capable of dribbling past one or two defenders, this young player has certainly been bookmarked as one for the future. Scoring a brilliant left-footed goal in the quarter-finals, Sanches will be expected to be at his psychological and physical best as he will be essential to Portugal’s journey to the final.
A similar player (much older; hence much experienced), midfielder Joe Allen has been one of the overlooked players in the Wales side. An engine in midfield, Allen can play the perfect provider to the likes of Bale and Robson-Kanu. The Liverpool star is a tactically disciplined midfielder who instils a lot of creativity to the squad. Especially when he is on the ball, he possesses the talent of perfect distribution in build-up play as well as counter-attacks.
Nicknamed the “Welsh Xavi” due to his vision and passing ability as a playmaker, Allen will looking to make his mark against a strong Portuguese opposition. Sanches and Allen might cross each other’s path more than a couple of times in the midfield and a battle for the ball between them in the middle of the park seems to be inevitable.
A total of possibly 120 minutes (and penalties) might decide which of these players will come out on top in the semi-final and move on to play for the Championship in the final. Can Portugal, being the more experienced team reach their first final since the loss to Greece in 2004? Or can Wales continue their fairytale run and create history in spite of going into the game as the underdogs?
It all goes down at the Parc Olympique Lyonnais in France. Very soon.
