Semi-final preview: Portugal vs Spain

In yet another high-octane encounter, defending European and World champions, Spain, take on a fiery Portugal in the semi-finals of Euro’12. Surely, Cristiano Ronaldo will be looking to reach the finals once again. Spain on the other hand, will be looking to reach their third successive major-cup final, having won the last two they participated in.

Just how close this match is going to be, can be seen if you take a look at the clubs that the players from the two sides represent. No less than fifteen players from two clubs, Real Madrid and Barcelona, are on the rosters of Spain and Portugal. Out of these, eight play for Real and seven for Barca. Indeed it is going to be more or less like a muddled up El Clasico and almost all the major players from the two great clubs will be on the pitch. The only thing missing is, Lionel Messi.

Form Guide:

Portugal

After a disappointing start to the tournament against Germany, Portugal have only got better with every match played. And after Ronaldo decided to make this tournament his own, they have looked like a transformed side. The match against Spain is easily going to be their toughest challenge so far, and their recent form shows that the Portuguese are up to the task. This match is going to be anything but a drab and dull encounter as the two sides know each other very well and plenty of fireworks are expected.

Cristiano Ronaldo once again is going to be the key for Paulo Bento’s side. If he plays the way he did in the previous two matches and scored three goals, Ronaldo, who has never scored against the Spanish could end the reign of La Roja. Having said that, Nani, Veloso and Meireles will have take on extra responsibility to support Ronaldo as well as create chances among themselves if he is marked heavily. The Seleccao will have to be constantly vigilant at the back as Spain are going to keep majority of the position and will be looking to exploit even the slightest weakness; the back four will have to be supported well by the midfield players. A major setback for them is the unavailability of striker Helder Postiga, who will miss the match due to a hamstring injury sustained during the match against Czech Republic.

Last Five Matches

Date	Venue	Opponent	Result
21/6/12	Warsaw	Czech Republic	W 1-0
17/6/12	Kharkiv	Netherlands	W 2-1
13/6/12	Lviv	Denmark	W 3-2
9/6/12	Lviv	Germany	L 0-1
2/6/12	Lisbon	Turkey	L 1-3

Spain

Apart from the game against Italy, Spain have had it quite easy so far in this tournament. Even the quarterfinal against France failed to live up to its expectation as Spain were literally gifted a victory by a toothless French side. Spain barely have had to break a sweat to reach this far in the tournament. On closer inspection though, it is evident that Spain are not performing as well as they would have liked to. Even though they have had plenty of possession and a high pass completion rate, their quick one-twos are not as slick and seamless as they used to be. They seem to be a little slack in front of goal, and they tend to over play themselves in the box, allowing opposition defenders to close in on them. Uncharacteristically, a lot of their attempts on goal are optimistic shots from way outside the box, while the absence of David Villa also seems to be taking its toll. The signs are looking ominous for the defending champions and Del Bosque’s recent remark that his players are ‘drained’ will only fuel added concerns. Quite controversially, the team physio has also been lamenting on Portugal’s extra two days of rest ahead of the clash. The ‘La Roja’ certainly have shed the invincible aura that has surrounded them in the past; leading many to believe that the ‘Red Fury’ can at last be quelled.

Spain’s defense is proving to be a major asset for the team; they have had the meanest defense so far in the tournament, having conceded only one goal. Clearly the side has not missed the presence of center back and skipper, Carles Puyol, who was ruled out of the tournament due to injury. Iker Casillas has gone unbeaten in goal for 299 minutes straight, since Antonio Di Natale’s goal for Italy in their very first group stage match. Another advantage for the Spanish is their extensive experience in dealing with Cristiano Ronaldo. Since almost the entire Spanish starting eleven comprise of players from Madrid, who are teammates, or are from Barca, who are bitter rivals, they will know exactly how to tackle Ronaldo.

Last Five Matches

Date	Venue	Opponent	Result
23/6/12	Donetsk	France	W 2-0
18/6/12	Gdansk	Croatia	W 1-0
14/6/12	Gdansk	Rep. of Ireland	W 4-0
10/6/12	Gdansk	Italy	D 1-1
3/6/12	Seville	China PR	W 1-0

Head to Head:

The Iberian rivals have faced each other seven times in competitive matchs, five of which have produced a result. Spain have won four of these, with their most emphatic victory coming in their very first match in ’34 WC, which ended 9-0 in Spain’s favor. Portugal had to wait until 2004 to get their first and only victory against the Spaniards.

Year	Venue	Event	Result
2010	Cape Town	World Cup	Spain -1 Portugal – 0
2004	Lisbon	Euro	Spain – 0 Portugal – 1
1984	Marseille	Euro	Spain – 1 Portugal – 1
1950	Lisbon	World Cup	Spain – 2 Portugal – 2
1950	Madrid	World Cup	Spain – 5 Portugal – 1
1934	Lisbon	World Cup	Spain – 2 Portugal – 1
1934	Madrid	World Cup	Spain – 9 Portugal – 0

Possible Lineups and Formations:

Portugal- (4-3-3)

Rui Patricio

Pereria, Pepe, Alves, Contrao

Moutinho, Veloso, Miereles

Nani, Almeida, Ronaldo

Seleccao coach, Paulo Bento is likely to stick with the same players he has been starting with throughout the tournament. The only exception is Postiga, who will miss out due to injury and will be replaced by Hugo Almeida.

Spain- (4-3-3)

Casillas

Arbeloa, Ramos, Pique, Alba

Silva, Alonso, Busquetes

Xavi, Fabregas, Inesta

Vicente Del Bosque is likely to maintain the same side he fielded against France, the only change might be Torres put in place of Fabregas, but I expect him to start with Fabregas and then substitute in Torres around the 65 minute mark.

Prediction: Portugal 0-2 Spain

The absence of Postiga is a blow for Portugal and with the likes of Arbeloa, Ramos, Pique and Alba in defense and Casillas in goal, Ronaldo will most likely be kept quiet. Even though Spain haven’t looked like the side they were a couple of years ago, they still have enough firepower to net a couple.