EURO Semifinal 1 Preview

Portugal vs Wales. 20:00 (GMT + 1). Gambling Portuguese face off against domineering Welsh Dragons

Come 8pm tonight, we would be served with what could likely be the most anticipated game in EURO 2016. From the moment Wales secured progression after outclassing Belgium in the quarter finals, fans across the world have been salivating to see who would trump the other in the match-up between Real Madrid stars Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo with a spot at the final showpiece of the competition at stake. The match will take place at the Parc Olympique Lyonnais tonight.






Portugal have been riding their luck since this competition began. They qualified from the group stage without winning a match, were thoroughly outplayed by Croatia but managed to stay firm to win in the dying stages of additional time and also struggled against Poland and needed penalties to progress to this round. Also, most of their stars have had underwhelming campaigns most notably Cristiano Ronaldo who many had predicted to take this competition by storm. Also stars like Andre Gomes whom many predicted would showcases his talents on this continental stage have had a quiet performance so far. The competition has however produced unlikely heroes with stars like Cedric and Renato Sanchez proving their mettle at the competition.



Wales in the contrast have been phenomenal, they took two wins out of three in the group stage including a 3:0 dismantling of 2018 World Cup hosts Russia. They also stayed solid to knock out Republic of Ireland despite scoring a lone goal and then shocked the footballing world by outplaying and knocking out tournament dark horses Belgium to reach the semi finals of a major tournament for the first time in their history. Their team stars have also stepped up when it matters most, Gareth Bale have has an amazing tournament as he has had an hand in 4 of the team's goals in the tournament, little known Hal Robson-Kanu who was released by Bolton before the tournament have put up such impressive displays that clubs are already vying for the 29 year old's signature. Captain Ashley Williams have been solid at the back and Aaron Ramsey have been at the peak of is creative powers for the Dragons.



With these stats out of the way, it seems straight forward that Portugal have no chance in this game, but as always football present surprises when we least expect them. Portugal have something important on their side: experience. Most of the team's core players have been in previous Euro competitions and World Cups and their experience of their previous failings could prove crucial in this game. I wont be betting on it though as this Wales side look unstoppable at the moment!

Come 8pm tonight, we would have an answer to the biggest puzzle of the competition so far.