Euro-2012 Portugal v Spain 1st semifinal

Spain know better than most that Portugal are more than just a one-man team, even if Cristiano Ronaldo invariably hogs the headlines. Portugal thrashed the reigning world and European champions 4-0 in their last meeting, in November 2010; Ronaldo was not amongst the scorers, and was rested in the second half, when the hosts netted three of their four goals, condemning Spain to their heaviest defeat since a 6-2 loss to Scotland in 1963. And while the match was a friendly, the Spanish were by no means under strength - they included 10 of the side who started the World Cup final, plus David Silva.

Ronaldo was denied a memorable solo goal in the 4-0 win, finishing a jinking run with an audacious lob - only for Nani to unnecessarily head the ball in on the goal-line from an offside position. Clearly infuriated, Ronaldo reacted by hurling the captain's armband at the turf. The 27-year-old, who has adopted a shoot-on-sight policy at Euro 2012, knows that his legacy depends on reproducing his scintillating club at international level.
The world's second greatest player has failed to score in three previous appearances against Spain, including an anonymous display at the 2010 World Cup. In contrast, his great rival Lionel Messi has netted twice in three games against the Spanish. It seems that whatever Ronaldo does, Messi can (usually) do better - although neither player has won a major international tournament. If Ronaldo can inspire his side to victory in their next two matches, the argument about which of them is the world's greatest may not be quite so one-sided.

Spain's ability to retain possession means they are rarely on the defensive, but they have been put on the back foot following criticism of their style, much of it from the Italian media. La Repubblica branded the 2-0 win against France "really boring", lamenting the lack of an orthodox centre-forward. There were even a few jeers, presumably from Kiev neutrals, as the quarter-final meandered to a conclusion. Has "Tiki Taka" really morphed into "Tiki Takanaccio" - or were Spain merely conserving energy for the tougher tests that lie in wait?